7 Years of College

The College Life of Van Wilder

When thinking about a movie dealing with students living on a college campus, the first that now comes to mind is Van Wilder. I never saw the movie before this assignment but with many positive recommendations by friends, I had to check it out. To no surprise, my friends did not lead me wrong. This movie was definitely the epitome of a college movie.  

In short, this movie is about a college student named Vance ("Van") Wilder. He has been going to college for seven years and is the "Big Man on Campus". Many people look to him for advice and wisdom about different aspects of college. Throughout the movie, a school newspaper reporter, Gwen, attempts to get an article about Van and the reason why he has yet to graduate. As their relationship progresses, Gwen's boyfriend gets jealous and attempts to frame Van so that he can get expelled from school, but ultimately Van and Gwen's feelings for each other get too strong. Van discovers that there are two reasons why he isn't graduating. The first reason is because he is simply afraid to graduate but the second reason is one that even Van is unaware of; he is waiting for a girl like Gwen to come into his life. I won't give away the full ending though, so you just have to see it for yourself :)

Van Wilder touches upon many key aspects of college life, through a sort of comical interpretation. These issues include common struggles that college students face on a daily basis such as: academics, suicide, hazing, relationships, financial issues, alcohol use, partying, and identity understanding. I feel that Van's character in the movie parallels the kind of people that we (as Orientation Leaders) are. We are both aware of the struggles that college students face and the best way to help resolve them while also learning about and helping ourselves with the same struggles in the process using the knowledge we receive. I want to focus on THREE themes that I feel are portrayed clearest in this movie: identity understanding, academics, and relationships.

1) Identity Understanding: It takes some time for Van to finally uncover the reason why he stays in school     for the amount of time that he does. Throughout the movie he keeps on claiming that he doesn't want to graduate because he "likes his school so much". However, this is only a mask to the underlying issues. Van is able to use the wisdom that he has acquired to help out other students and assist them with their problems but he finally realizes that he can help himself by understanding the reasons behind his actions.

How This Relates to NSO: Many students arrive at college unaware of who they are and the reason why they came to college. It may take until their second or third year at Rutgers to finally figure out what their underlying "Why?" actually is. Until they take a step out of their own shoes and remove the mask they have on to discover what's inside themselves, only then can the student finally create their own identity, just like Van did (but in two years, instead of seven). As Orientation Leaders, we must be the first step in encouraging the student to understand who they are. For many years, the student is influenced by their friends and family and has yet to act and think as an individual. We must assist the student in understanding that they can do whatever they wish with their life and that college is a way for them to truly develop their identity. 

2) Academics: In order for Van to achieve the goals he set out for himself, he had to finish college. This meant that he really had to buckle down and do well on his academics. It was extremely tough for him because after slacking off for three years, he had to get back down to business and study in order to pass all of his classes. Difficult course material is arguably one of the hardest aspects of college for Van and many other college students.

How This Relates to NSO: Incoming students are afraid more than anything about the classes they are going to be taking. For students to feel like they are being successful in college, they must be satisfied with the grades they are getting in their classes. This can influence how their identities are developed. As OL's we must emphasize the importance of academics in college. Getting students to understand what is expected of them in a college course can really decrease the shock they receive when first arriving at school. Stressing that academics should be the student's first priority is also crucial. If the student's transition to college is made easier because of the information we give to them, then we are doing a job well done.

3) Relationships: Van definitely had no problems making friends with everyone at his school. Whether it be his peers, faculty, or staff, Van was extremely well known by most people. When evaluating his success with dating/serious relationships, Van found that he lacked skills in this area. Van was unaware of what he wanted in a relationship until the perfect girl entered his life. From that point on, he knew that this was a piece of himself that was hiding and consequently, did all he could to win the girl of his dreams.

How This Relates to NSO: Most students enter college either in a relationship with someone already or looking to find that special someone to get into a relationship with. Sometimes there is even an urgency for this because they don't want to feel left out or behind their peers. As OL's it is very important to emphasize getting involved, being open-minded, and meeting new people in order to satisfy these needs for the incoming students we serve. Relationships are arguably one of the utmost priorities in a college student's daily life. Without interactions with friends and significant others, the student may feel alone and left out. It is our job to inform the students of the resources that Rutgers has to offer and that can ultimately make a significant difference during their college years.

It didn't take much for me to notice the apparent themes and issues that college students face in Van Wilder. These can be easily relate-able to the average Rutgers student, for example. Even though it is a comedy, the underlying messages were really thought out and there was a clear point to the movie. Overall, I enjoyed this movie a lot and I would definitely recommend it for my other peers to see.