4 College Life Lessons from Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Before we dive into these life lessons, let’s take a pop quiz:

1. Do you ever feel like you’re navigating wild, uncharted waters?
2. Do you long for freedom from the life you’ve always known?
3. Do you want to be where the [cool] people are?
4. Have you recently fallen for a human with exceptionally good hair?
5. Have you ever confused a fork for a dinglehopper hairbrush?

If you answered yes to any of the first four questions, you might be either a character from Disney’s The Little Mermaid or a college student. (If you answered yes to the last question, you’re definitely our first mermaid reader. Welcome!) But in all seriousness, this classic story has a lot of great life lessons for college students. Or at least, enough life lessons that we can justify watching the movie as “homework.” Get ready to make a splash with these four college life lessons from The Little Mermaid.

What’s The Little Mermaid About?

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is based on the classic Hans Christian Anderson tale, but has a much happier ending (the original Ariel turned into sad green seafoam at the end. Bummer!) In Disney’s version, mermaid Ariel dreams of life on land and is willing to sacrifice almost anything to get it — which leads her to make a dangerous pact with the sea witch Ursula. If Good Hair Prince Eric doesn’t kiss her in time, she’ll lose her newly acquired human legs and return to the sea as Ursula’s creature.

The millennials in your life grew up with the 1989 cartoon version of The Little Mermaid, which saved Disney’s sinking animation department and ushered in a new era of Broadway-quality musicals. (If you’re a fan of Frozen, you’ve got The Little Mermaid to thank.) Although the 1989 cartoon is often considered to be a frothy visual spectacle, it actually has quite a “gutsy” message about identity, explains this article from the Smithsonian: “Instead of a simple story of an adolescent who ‘wants to leave the ocean for a boy,’ the [1989 cartoon] offers a nuanced, layered critique of gender, sexuality, body dysmorphia and even politics.”

Disney’s live-action remake released in spring 2023, complete with some brand-new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda. (Even Prince Eric gets to actually sing something this time!) Critics have praised it for its gorgeous production design and its smart casting choice of singer/actress Halle Bailey as Ariel. (If you need a pick-me-up, watch these videos of kids reacting to their first glimpse of a new generation’s Ariel.)

Spoilers follow, so be sure to watch the movie before we dive in to its lessons.

4. Protect the Ocean

Ariel might long for land, but The Little Mermaid sure makes underwater life look enchanting. “Okay, okay, listen to me, the human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they got goin’ on up there,” sings Sebastian the crab, and honestly he’s not wrong. (What would we give to live in Ariel’s underwater palace? A lot, okay. Tell Ursula to get in touch.)

It’s easy to imagine that, as a human princess, Ariel will use her power for ocean conservation. Even though she doesn’t want to live under the sea, she still loves it. Her best friends are a fish, a northern gannet, and a crab, after all. Plus, Ariel knows better than anyone that the ocean is the “lungs of the planet,” producing 50% of the oxygen we breathe on land. She depends on it for survival — whether she’s swimming through undersea forests or ruling in Prince Eric’s Castle.

If you want to do your part to protect the ocean, here are a few easy ways to start:

• (The ocean is clogged with an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris — let’s not add to it.)
• Take a bike or bus whenever possible.
• Opt for a water thermos instead of a plastic water bottle.
• Use mineral-based sunscreen, which is less harmful to coral reefs.
• Choose a university known for sustainability.
• Join a campus sustainability club.

Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder in the Little Mermaid. Photo courtesy of Disney.

3. Empower Yourself

Compared to the other Disney princesses, Ariel gets a bad rap. If Belle is The Girl Who Reads and Mulan is The Girl Who Fights, Ariel is known as The Girl Who Gives Up Her Voice for a Boy. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it? The remake tries to fix this, with mixed results. But even in the original, Ariel doesn’t actually give up her voice because she’s crushing on Good Hair Eric. She does it because she feels powerless. In fact, Ariel yearns for the human world long before she meets the handsome prince — because she thinks it’s her best escape from her controlling father: “Betcha on land, they understand/Bet they don’t reprimand their daughters/Bright young women/ Sick of swimmin’/Ready to stand.”

When her father violently destroys her trove of human treasures, Ariel runs to Ursula for help. In typical sea witch fashion, Ursula manipulates Ariel’s desperation to escape. She says that if Ariel doesn’t accept her deal, she might as well “go back home to daddy and never leave again.” No wonder Ariel gives up her voice and chugs that Human Legs Potion. “Ariel is put in a terrible situation, and like so many young people put in terrible situations, she’s led to believe that she has no choice,” explains this Salon article.

Do you ever feel like Ariel? Pressured to conform to the expectations of your family or society? Powerless to live as your true self? If so, you’re not the only one. But unlike Ariel, you don’t have to give up your voice or make a bargain with a sea witch to escape. There are people ready to help:

• Ask yourself whether some message — from society or your family — is keeping you from living an authentic life. “There’s been a multi-century PR campaign that tells us that if we express ourselves and cultivate a life around authenticity, then we will suffer,” says Alok Vaid-Menon, a gender-nonconforming and transfeminine artist quoted in this NPR article. Instead of listening to this negative message, the article suggests you challenge it and “make space for new feelings like joy and possibility.”
• Talk to a therapist. Most colleges and universities offer free therapy sessions with trained professionals, who can help you work through any unhealthy, internalized messages and set concrete goals towards the life you want. If you’re a student at USF, you can make an appointment at our counseling center here.
• Surround yourself with support. For example, you might take a college course that acknowledges and validates your experiences, such as a gender studies class. Or you might join an extracurricular club where you can connect with like-minded students.

2. Be Bold

Sure, Ariel makes some questionable choices. She strikes a deal with a tentacled witch. She marries a guy she’s known for three days. (Yes, Eric is handsome, but WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIM?) She invites her crab friend to her wedding and then hires a seafood chef. (Fortunately, the live-action remake cut out the crustacean killer, Chef Louis.) But, to her credit, Ariel is bold and willing to take risks —an important lesson for all of us, especially women.

In America (and in Atlantica, we suspect), boys are taught to be brave and girls are taught to be careful. This makes girls less willing to take risks or make waves. And when girls do fail, they’re harder on themselves — believing they let someone else down. In the long term, this risk-aversion limits women’s career growth. After all, if Ariel hadn’t defied her society and boldly rescued Eric, she’d never have become a future queen of the surface land.

How do we get better at being bold?

• Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone: Tackle a tough academic project or try out a new campus club.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Ariel benefits from the support of her sea creature friends, including the unlikely ally, Sebastian. Make the most of your college years and build lifelong friendships, and take advantage of your school’s wealth of resources, from peer mentors to academic help to student success initiatives.
• If you do make a mistake, don’t ruminate on your failure. Chalk it up to a life lesson and take care of yourself: Get plenty of sleep, regular exercise and good nutrition.
• Keep trying. Don’t give up on that dance class just because you fell the first day. Don’t give up on your dream major because you got a bad test score. This setback might mean you need to work harder, but you’ve got it in you to succeed.

Ariel (Halle Bailey) singing in the new Little Mermaid movie. Photo courtesy of Disney.

1. Be Curious

“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?” Ariel says, showing off her “gadgets and gizmos” from the human world. She asks questions no other mermaid would dare to entertain. Why does fire burn? What would it feel like to dance on human feet? What is Prince Eric’s hair care regimen? (Okay, maybe that question is just from us.) Ariel is the most curious of all the Disney princesses — and that curiosity is what intimidates King Triton, because it makes her question the rules of her society.

Being curious means you want to know what you do not (yet) know. If you’re curious, you ask questions, engage in new experiences, open yourself to learning, and ultimately, become a “happier, more engaged version of yourself.” Here’s how to nurture it:

• Turn observations into questions. Ariel has the right idea: She doesn’t simply observe that fire burns. She asks why – the kind of question that can lead to innovative breakthroughs.
• Read widely — and not just assigned books, but stuff that truly interests you.
• Ask questions in class or during faculty office hours. (Before you learn something new, you have to acknowledge what you don’t know.)
• Harness a sense of adventure. “When you push yourself to do things you’re afraid of doing, it helps you expand your sense of what you’re capable of,” explains this Britannica article on developing curiosity. Campus activities are a great way to engage your adventurous spirit in a safe environment.
• Attend college events where you can meet people from other cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. You can check out some of USF’s multicultural events
• Engage in research. If Ariel had been a student at USF, she probably would’ve participated in the Office of Undergraduate Research — because there’s no better way to satiate your curiosity than to pursue your academic interests and solve problems.

Embark on Your New Adventure

Do you want more? Is it your turn? Are you ready to explore that shore up above (also known as college life)? USF is here to open up your world — whether you’re a college student or a mermaid. (If you’re a mermaid, FYI, you’ll love our location: Some of the nation’s best beaches are in our backyard.) Reach out to the Office of Admissions to find out how we can help you broaden your horizons.