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Movies for Motivation: Movies That Inspire You to Study

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With exams just around the corner, this piece is an aim to inspire you to study on of your off days where you’ve given up on your books and just need a break. Hopefully, these movies will motivate you more than Sandeep Maheshwari. 

Films have been long overlooked as an educational tool. Cinema is just an anecdote of the literature of the world. We tend to forget that what often spurs the imagination is both visual and auditory. For many of us, watching movies is an escape. After 5 hours of comprehending the political theory, even Kuch Kuch Hota Hai acts as a relief. The power of cinema is boundless. Movies on this list have all one thing in common, value for education and not a conventional way to prove it. Thus, making them great breaks between your study sessions. And more than that, great tools to uncover your hidden love for art and knowledge.

Take a journey with these lead characters that will provoke you to take a journey with your books. These movies will motivate you not just for these exams but will act as a reminder of how education isn’t just for a degree.

 

  1. Freedom Writers:

Freedom Writers is a frank and formulaic entry in the inspirational inner-city teacher genre, with an energetic Hilary Swank. It’s an inspiring drama that touches on many themes of power, violence, and casteism. Erin Gruwell (Hilary Swank) arrives for her first day of teaching at Wilson High, a school which once was at pinnacle of academic performance now is filled with underprivileged students who use drugs, live on streets where people are killed regularly and have even served time in prison. Erin’s commitment to transforming her students by writing and reading is what is inspirational of all. This doesn’t just celebrate great teachers but the unity that arises out of diversity once all walls of discrimination are broken.

 

  1. Dead Poets Society: 

There are some films that, if you watch then for the first time at the right age, have the capacity to inspire and embolden you: Dead Poets Society is one such film. Its uncynical, idealistic and hopeful making it not resonate with film snobs, but what it lacks in critical kudos, it has recouped in audience appreciation. Robin Williams is on top form as the iconoclastic John Keating, the unconventional English teacher who uses his love of poetry and classic literature to break down barriers at the oppressive Welton Academy. Keating inspires his young charges to ‘seize the day’, challenge the school’s strict rules, and truly be themselves. The film is packed with emotionally-charged, touching scenes but the one that won’t fail to make the hairs on your arm stand up is this one where Keating’s students demonstrate what he means to them – “Oh Captain, My Captain…”

 

  1. The Pursuit of Happiness:

It’s a magnificent real-life tale that teaches you to not give up, irrespective of whatever happens. The perfect elixir you need when you have to do the entire syllabus in one week. Never miss an opportunity and studying hard, after a few years, Chris works his way up the career ladder from medical equipment salesman to financial hotshot. If there’s one story that demonstrates that you should never give up, no matter how bad things get, it’s Chris’.

 

  1. Good Will Hunting:

Matt Damon masterfully plays the eponymous role of Will Hunting a 20-year-old mathematical prodigy with a rough past, a tendency for street fighting and run-ins with the law. The film shows how an underachiever can turn things around. People who have always had problems with focus and concentration this one is for you. This movie familiarises you with the concept of heartbreak. The heartbreak one feels when appreciating a true genius but to fall short of it yourself. The film stars Matt Damon as a janitor at MIT who likes to party and hang in the old neighbourhood and loves reading things of the Internet and imbibe them into his photographic memory. Even though it follows a predictable narrative arc, Good Will Hunting adds enough quirks to the journey and is loaded with enough powerful performances that it remains an entertaining and emotionally rich drama.

 

  1. School of Rock:

In this movie, the irrepressible Jack Black plays a down-on-his-luck musician who makes use of a combination of creative interview techniques, Led Zeppelin riffs, crazy love for music, and a ridiculous amount of ‘winging it’ to transform a class of upper-class unhappy kids into a real group of tiny rock Gods.  While the movie was never going to challenge for the Best Picture Oscar, it’s a fantastic off-beat example of how education can inspire really positive change amongst the most unlikely looking people.

 

  1. Stand and Deliver:

Another inspirational film made for those who might not be able to concentrate cause of family troubles, societal troubles and other out of hand issues. This movie leads a powerful narrative of how that academic success is not out of reach just because of their background or their current struggles. The story demonstrates the possibilities open to anyone no matter what they may have been told in the past. With Ramon Menendez as the director, the film is much less clichéd than La Bamba. 

 

  1. Sister Act 2:

Back in the Habit: A nun reprises her role in the music scene by joining a Catholic school’s mission to take their choir further in the state championships. The lesson in this film is that any student can find their place with the right encouragement. And if you don’t grove to the songs and if they don’t stick to your head while attempting your exams, you may take a box of Ferrero Rocher from my house.

 

Featured Image Credits: Vulture

 

Chhavi Bahmba 

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Editorial: No, DU, I Did Not Read ‘That’ Book and You Can Calm Down About It

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A year in this space has made me question my personal notions- what kind of diversity do we have? And is the presence of diversity the same as accepting it- those who bring it to the University of Delhi (DU)- with open arms? Read a take on the culture of shaming in a space meant for diversity.

For a University situated in the Capital of a nation that sells itself to globalisation with the tagline ‘Unity in Diversity’, cultural, economic, and social diversity is always a good self-promotional point. However, if you have been in DU for even a semester, the rose-tinted lenses wear off soon enough. We may have students from all over the country and beyond, but our academic and cultural spaces have not learnt the rhetoric of respecting the history that comes with different family and socio-economic backgrounds.

An average day in an English literature classroom in a  college considered ‘intellectual’- like Lady Shri Ram College- involves professors coming in class, throwing names of critics (mostly foreigners, usually white), and expecting students to have read them. An academic space is meant to challenge you, and to inform you about things you were formerly ignorant of. But the sighs of disappointment, ‘how do you call yourself educated’, and steely eyes filled with judgement when one is unaware of what the professor is speaking of; all are methods of shaming that do more damage than the promised ‘good’. 

It is unfairly ignorant to only speak of professors and classrooms as the harbingers of this attitude, since our own friend circles play a significant role in this process. We, as young-adults stepping outside the comfort of our homes, seek a sense of self-worth and validation from our friends. When belittled for listening to a certain kind of music, or for not having watched or read a movie or book considered ‘high art’, it is inevitable to lose faith in our intellectual capabilities. To be told that you need to have done specific, mostly privileged, and expensive things in order to fit in, is not only elitist, but also a form of childish bullying that all of us have been subjected to.

Most of us have not grown up with our fathers playing vinyl records of Bob Dylan or The Beatles to us as kids. The tag of a Grammar Nazi (wrong on every level), that we wear as a badge of honour will never encourage somebody to learn better English, but will be a reminder of the inefficiencies in their background. It says something about their history, over which they did not have active control, but it defines you as a person- an elitist who does not wish to be kinder and more empathetic.

To recognise that there are conditionings different than your own is a significant aspect of mental maturity that DU colleges fail to instil in us. Challenging us academically or giving us a plethora of resources to learn from is the thing one seeks, but DU’s rather popular culture of shaming us into learning is psychologically flawed, and ethically problematic in a time when we are learning and unlearning the caste, class, and cultural privileges and meritocracy. It is true that DU is not the only place where the culture of shaming is prominent and propagated, but when I think of DU, I think of diversity. To have diversity comes with the need to accept it, and I know our classrooms can change for the better. Arundhati Roy said, “To love. To be loved… To try and understand… And never, never to forget.” (If you have not read her, it’s okay. Take this as my recommendation, if you were looking for one?) I hope, DU does not forget its role and duty to diversity- intellectual and of all kinds- and understands that we are all learning, and we can do with a little kindness.

Anushree Joshi 

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

5 Things to Remember When Life Knocks You Down

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It is on multiple occasions that life knocks you down and all you can do is lie in a pool of tears till you muster enough strength to get back up. It is easy to feel that life is miserable and that you’re never getting over this, however, some reminders can make it seem easier and less dramatic.

1. You aren’t alone

I need you to remember that you are just one amongst many people that life has knocked down. In fact, all the people in the world have felt the way you are feeling right now. However, some of them have reached the pinnacles of happiness and others are going down the lane of depression. I need you to go and study the struggle stories of successful people, right after you are done reading this. And, I need you to follow that path. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it. They have been exactly where you are and they did it. So can you.

2. You have a Purpose

When you are down on the floor, gasping for breath, you will find a reason to get back up when you find a purpose. Do not be intimidated by that term. A purpose can be one for life or one for the day. The important bit is to find it. Do not overthink. Go out there and explore. To find your purpose is not to think about it for a day or month. It can be taking care of your dog, running a blog, spreading smiles, or doing whatever makes you happy. Just create your purpose and let it become your drive!

3. You are lucky

Now, this might be the most ridiculous thing that can be said to a struggling person. But it really is true. Imagine not struggling at all. That’s what you want, right? Or imagine struggling only as much as you can “take it”. Now, imagine the entire world being able to talk about, relate to, and be concerned about the issues of unbearable struggle. And you, just not being able to figure out what they are saying because you haven’t struggled enough.
You would lose touch with reality and humanity. You would desperately want to feel what all the other humans are able to feel. Whatever you are struggling with right now is going to make you a stronger person, no matter what. You may temporarily feel weak, but you’ll emerge a stronger person. In all success stories, you’ll find one thing in common: struggle. So hey, that’s one checkbox ticked on your path to success!

4. You have a Savior 

And that person is not your best friend, your parent, or your therapist. No, no, not your God either. Your savior is you.
Do not underestimate the effect you have on yourself! It is eventually you who decides what to take in and what not to. The decision may be conscious or unconscious, but it is yours! You are your own savior because you are with yourself all the time. You are your own savior because no one can step into your mind except you. You are your savior because eventually, the person who you have to spend your every second, entire life with is you. You are your biggest influence. And if you feel your savior is not doing a very good job, maybe it is time to change for the sake of yourself.

5. It is not that serious

In spite of everything that happens in life, life goes on. It is our mind which creates the entire aura of seriousness around a situation most of the time when it did not exist in the first place. Most of the time, the situation ceases to remain serious when it becomes the past. You can laugh at the most ‘serious’ situations in life afterward. And even if what you are going through is very grave, five years from now, it won’t hurt that much. Do not get me wrong. I am not saying your situation isn’t dire. All I want to say is, don’t equate your life to your struggles. You are more than that.

 

Feature Image Credits: Mindful

Khyati Sanger
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Sounds

Music for Motivation

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Music has been more than just being about entertainment. The emotional aspect of music is far reaching and unacknowledged. Music has the power of healing pain and motivating someone to heights.

Music has been man’s companion from time immemorial. The closely knitted relationship between man and human underpins the fact that music is not just about entertainment. Music has touched human life in ways beyond description. Music has been a company to man in the days of contentment and gloom. Music can prove to be a very powerful force.

Music is known to invoke a strong emotional response in our body. Putting it straight, scientists have found that listening to particularly happy or sad music impacts the way we perceive our surrounding. This very property of music can be exploited to pave the human mind and emotions.

Motivation can be similarly derived from listening to music. Music and mood have an intrinsic connection. Scientists continue to discover how these influences occur at a neuropsychiclevel. Studies prove that the music we listen, engages a wide range of neurobiological cycles that impact our psychology. One of music’s rejuvenating effects arises from its potential to engage the body’s sympathetic nervous system. Music can also increase heart and respiration rate which causes an emotional arousal. Music can even control muscle tension. Focusing on a favorite song combats de-motivating brain signals associated with failure or pain. Music motivates individuals by making them feel more successful and by stimulating positive emotions that help to rescind some of the negative thoughts in our mind.

The pertinent question now is, how particular kind of music manages to make us motivated or energized?

The subconscious mind can’t really make out the difference between listening to words coming from a person and words coming from a song. If the words that we receive resonates with our positive belief system and thoughts, we would certainly feel motivated.

If you really want to test the credibility of this article, add the following songs in your playlist right away.

1. Hall of Fame – Script:

“Standing in the hall of fame, and the world’s gonna know your name.” The lyrics of the songs beautifully focuses on the beauty of not giving up. The song is about chasing dreams and leaving an impression on the world

2. Superheroes – Script:

“When you’ve been fighting for it all your life, you’ve been struggling to make things right, that’s how a superhero learns to fly” The song highlights the pain about struggle and getting strength from the course of the struggle.

3. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson:

“What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter”.  This song helps you to evaluate your life when something hasn’t gone the way you wanted.

4. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye &Tammi Terrell:

“Don’t you know that there ain’t no mountain high enough.Ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough. To keep me from getting to you, baby”. The song motivates the listener to overcome the obstacles to reach the baby (Goal).

 

Feature Image Credits: Pixabay

Sandeep Samal

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DUB Speak

Need Motivation? Watch These Movies

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Some movies touch a chord in your heart and some teach you lessons that are never to be forgotten. Here are some of such movies that teach certain lessons with great craftiness.

Is it that time when you are feeling low? Or funnily enough, in need of a new quote for your Instagram Bio? Well, if you are a movie buff like me, you’d know that movies have a certain aura of relaxing you after a hard day or motivating you for the next. Here are some of my favorite movies to inspire you a little on that rough day:

October Sky

It is a movie based on a real story of a NASA scientist, Mr. Homer Hickam. A boy of humble dwellings with his career predestined as a coal mine worker, he is left agape when he watches the first satellite launch by NASA. With the help of his teacher who never lost faith in his multiple experiments of a mini-satellite, he advances in the technology of making a satellite along with his friends. For how he arranges his college tuition fee, you’ll have to watch the movie which will motivate you to take that extra mile.

An Education

English literature students will feel a connection with Jenny, the protagonist because she studies the subject passionately in school and has a craving for all things French. She falls for a man twice her age, she drops school to marry him but he turns out to be married already. Did Jenny pick up her ruined career after this or did she become a crybaby is to be found out by watching the movie which truly is a lesson and an education?

Dead Poets Society

A teacher (also an alumnus), John Keating was all The Welton Academy boys needed to realize where their hearts lay. On his encouragement, the boys form a Dead Poets Society to narrate well-known as well as their own poetry, their dreams, and fantasies. These boys bond like never before and relationships ensue too. Later, when Mr. Keating is accused of a crime, the boys showcase their solidarity with him. The movie is a lesson in itself, how a teacher can change your life and how one should question the traditional norms.

Certain stories have a way of entering your conscious and never leave. Those are the stories you’d want to pass on and always remember. Well, these movies had an impact on me and they sure will on you. Plus, no one shies away from good cinema. Till then, carpe diem!

Feature Image Credits: Wetpaint

 

Prachi Mehra

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