Homer Goes to College

"Homer Goes to College" is the third episode of The Simpsons' fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 14, 1993. In the episode, Homer's lack of a college degree is revealed and he is sent to Springfield University to pass a nuclear physics class. Homer, who bases his perception of college on comedy films and TV shows, goofs around and is sent to a group of boys for tutoring. The boys, who are stereotypical nerds, try to help Homer, but he instead tries to help them party and decides to pull a prank on another college. They steal Springfield A&M's mascot, but his friends are caught and expelled. Homer invites them to live with him, but his family soon become angered by their new housemates.

"Homer Goes to College" was directed by Jim Reardon and was the final episode of the show for which Conan O'Brien received sole writing credit. O'Brien would leave the series halfway through the production of the season to host his own show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He had been working on this episode when he was informed that he had received the job and was forced to walk out on his contract.

The episode contains several references to the film Animal House as well as Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Star Trek and the song "Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen, which plays during the end credits.

During a surprise inspection of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Homer is placed in a test module van that simulates an emergency. He has no idea what to do and starts pressing buttons at random, somehow causing a nuclear meltdown even though there was no nuclear material inside the van. The NRC officials tell Mr. Burns that Homer's job requires college training in nuclear physics, and that he must go back to college to keep his job. Homer is rejected by every college he applies to, but Burns helps him get into Springfield University.