‘The Graduate’

Obviously, this is the typical movie that everyone thinks of when graduation is in the air. Plus, Dustin Hoffman does fantastic acting work.

I’m sure everyone fantasizes about being with a real-life Mrs. Robinson and end up with her daughter, but the moments that really counts are when the title character is left alone to “think about his future.”

Hopefully your future is a lot brighter than Benjamin Braddock’s and you’re not striving to be in “plastics” as an adult.

‘St. Elmo’s Fire’

This 1980’s Brat Pack film details a group of friends in their transition from college graduation to adulthood. Inevitably, life is much different after school ends.

From marriage to politics, nothing is the same. The characters discover that friends move on to start new lives, while some try to freeze time instead of growing up.

“St. Elmo’s Fire” is an excellent reminder of how to cope with the hazy future ahead.

‘Back to School’

This Rodney Dangerfield classic is best summed up by the comedy’s co-writer, Harold Ramis.

He wondered what would happen if one went to college after having been in the “real world” with the numerous lessons one learns from working in business and living in the “real world”.

“Back to School” explores this question in a comedic romp.

The title character discovers the many things one could do during college with a healthy supply of monetary resources at his disposal. Imagine a fraternity with ten times the money for parties.

Of course, it’s a lot more difficult in this age to have Kurt Vonnegut personally write a reflection paper about his own work for you, like the main character does. It just goes to show that a sense of wit like Dangerfield can get you far in life.

I’ll leave it up to you to check out Dangerfield’s graduation speech and whether you agree with it or not.

‘Fandango’

This film is a little bit hard to find, but it’s worth the hunt. A very young Kevin Costner takes his fraternity brothers on one last road trip before they head off to their retrospective futures, including some being drafted for Vietnam.

“Fandango” is probably the greatest “one last crazy college trip before we become adults” movie ever made. It’s a shame that executive producer Steven Spielberg personally disowned the film.

‘Tommy Boy’

Only the first five minutes of the film that depict the title character in a college setting, but it still provides many memorable college moments, and deals with the post-graduation world.

Stop watching Netflix and start living.

It’s time to start a career with your life. As Chris Farley says in the film, “We’re going to show this world a thing or two.”

Just don’t come crashing down onto a table when you declare that or lose everything you learned due to “malted hops and bong resin.”