If you watched “The Bear” or pay attention to memes, you know the temper of Jeremy Allen White shouting “Yes, chef!” while pots crash, knives slam and the kitchen spins out of control. It’s messy, intense and stressful. Yet somehow, it feels familiar.
For a lot of us, college life isn’t too different. Swap hot pans for overheating laptops and the kitchen for the library, and suddenly Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) kitchen chaos looks a lot like the library during finals week.
Season three of “The Bear” doesn’t sugarcoat it. It brings you right into the mindset of obsession, perfectionism and burnout, which are many of the exact thoughts college students battle when juggling assignments, internships and late-night meetings.
Watching Carmy unravel under the pressure hits close to home because we’ve all been there. Running on the overpriced dining hall Celsius, chasing perfection and wondering if the three extracurriculars you’re a part of will be enough on your resume.
At its core, “The Bear” is about ambition and the toll it takes. Carmy measures his worth through his work. If the food isn’t perfect, he isn’t perfect.
Here at Quinnipiac, we pride ourselves on being ambitious. This emphasis can impact the value we hold on our academic success. One bad grade or a missed deadline can feel like the end of the world.
The problem is that hustle culture tells us this is normal. If you’re not working 24/7, you aren’t trying. But just like Carmy, we know deep down that running on fumes isn’t sustainable. The more we push, the more we crack.
Looking solely at season three — not everyone loved it. Some critics said it was brilliant, cinematic and a bold step forward. Others thought it dragged or tried too hard.
Thankfully I am not a media critic, just an avid consumer. That said, I felt this season encapsulated the true struggle of feeling like some days you’re on top of everything, and other days you’re wondering what exactly you signed up for.
That’s why it works. Because student life is like that too. Equal parts motivating and frustrating, with moments that feel both exhausting and unforgettable.
So what recipe can we as students actually follow from the messaging created in this kitchen chaos? I promise a lot more than just cooking metaphors.
Reminding ourselves that humanity is more important than perfection is like starting with a clean workspace. Carmy showed the audience that pushing himself past the breaking point was nothing to brag about and it is something we need to recognize and prevent.
And as much as we all love an aesthetic plate, the perfectionism that looks good on Instagram is not what really matters. Showing up, trying and growing — even when it’s messy is still progress towards important goals.
It is also important to recognize that the best moments in season three aren’t about food; they’re about people. The same goes for college. Those 2 a.m. conversations in the dorm or study sessions with friends often mean more than the grades we’re chasing.
Maybe the reason “The Bear” hits so hard is because it’s not just about food. It’s about pressure, just like the kind we live with on campus.
College often feels like a never-ending shift in a Michelin-star kitchen: always busy, always urgent, always one mistake away from disaster. But if “The Bear” teaches us anything, it’s that no one can live like that forever.
Kitchens and students both need to cool down sometimes. Hustle culture tells us to keep turning up the heat, but the truth is, the best meals (and the best lives) need time to simmer.
So yes, chef. But also, yes, making mistakes. Yes, friendship. Yes, time for yourself.
