1. The leaves! Here in New England, the fall season is a particularly magnificent time of year because of the way all of the leaves change colors. I always enjoy walking around campus at this time, and getting to see the natural color palette of the campus, and how it stands out against the trees that have not changed yet. As they begin to fall, it’s oh-so satisfying to hear that crunch underfoot.
2. Apple picking at Honey Pot Hill. Whether it is for a group bonding activity, or just going with your friends, many students at Brandeis have gone to Honey Pot Hill for apple picking. If you are anything like my friends, this is something you have been looking forward to since the summer (in all seriousness).
3. The changing weather. As fall comes around, it gets chillier, but early on, the sun still continues to shine. This makes for some of the best kind of weather, the kind where you can go outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, but it is brisk enough to wear a coat, and not get too warm.
4. Pumpkins! I’m not specifically referring to pumpkin spice lattes here, or the pumpkin flavored craze that sweeps that nation around this time of the year. I mean Great-pumpkin-carve-out-all-of-their-guts-and-put-them-on-your-front-porch kind of pumpkins. Pumpkin carving has always been a great bonding experience to have with your friends or family, and they look so cool when they are finished!
5. Brace yourselves, Halloween is coming. Halloween is only the best holiday of the year, and the beginning of October marks the countdown to this glorious holiday. It’s got everything: candy, spooky stuff, laughs, more candy, creepy movies, pumpkins, haunted houses, and more!
6. ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween. So this one is kind of in line with the previous thing, but it is still deserving of its own category. Growing up, this is how you got your scary (or not so much) movies. And they have all of the classics: Corpse Bride, Hocus Pocus, and The Adams Family, to name a few.
7. Hot drinks. It has finally become that time of year when you can enjoy a nice hot drink without sweating through your shirt. Being able to have a hot drink adds to the coziness of doing homework or relaxing inside as you take shelter from the chilly weather, or as you get work done.
8. The holiday season is beginning. The line up has begun! First there is Halloween, then there is Thanksgiving, and Hanukkah, then Christmas, and so on. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, to quote Frank Sinatra, and it is also nice to enjoy the well-deserved break that comes along with some of these holidays.
9. TV shows begin airing again. Now that fall is here, all of your favorite TV shows are beginning to air online again! The only unfortunate part about this is learning to juggle binge watching episodes and getting your homework done, participating in clubs and activities, and having a social life.
10. Fall themed treats. Candy corn, caramel apples, pumpkin pie, you name it – it is now socially acceptable to eat these without receiving judgement from your friends and family. Not only that, most of these treats are fun and easy to make at home, so it’s another way to create a good time with those you hold dear.