Emma Watson puts college before career

Emma Watson would rather be at college than on a movie set. The Harry Potter star — who attends Brown University — puts her education ahead of her career.

“I get some amazing offers to act, and sometimes it’s hard to say, ‘No, I’m going to stay here and do my homework.’ People are like, ‘What do you mean she’s not available?’ I may do some theater next summer, but this college experience is really important to me, and I won’t give it up for anything. I’m not going to school just for the academics — I wanted to share ideas, to be around people who are passionate about learning,” Emma, 20, tells Parade magazine.

“My days as a student are structured so differently from being on a movie set, where I had people constantly telling me what to do. When you’re filming, someone needs to know where you are every second of the day; here no one tells me what time I can have lunch, when I can go to the bathroom. It’s incredibly empowering and liberating.

“My friends think I’m crazy because I get so much joy out of really simple pleasures like staying up late talking or deciding to go for a walk. And bagels — they’re the best thing ever!

“Americans just love variety; there’s so much choice, it’s overwhelming. But I love trying the blueberry and raisin and cinnamon bagels. Luckily, I exercise a lot.

“The amazing thing is that everyone here is interested in their own lives, so they aren’t nosy about mine. I’m used to people being intrusive and gossipy, but I can be anonymous. My best friend at Brown has never seen a Harry Potter movie or read the books. And one guy I dated didn’t know anything about the films, much less that I was one of the stars, which I found hilarious.”