As a girl who has lived in New Hampshire all my life, fall is without a doubt what I love most about being a New Englander. There is nothing I thrive on more than crisp mornings, changing leaves, and seasonal flavors at all my local coffee shops. Some of my absolute favorite fall activities have to be apple or pumpkin picking with friends, watching Sunday football games with family, and having cozy movie nights in. However, with assignments piling up and a calendar full of fast approaching exam dates, it can be hard to get in the fall spirit as a busy college student. If you don’t have a good weekend to get off campus and enjoy the season here are some of my favorite ways to get in the fall mood right from my room.
- Â DECORATE YOUR DORM
Make it a fun day with your roommates or grab a friend if you’re in a single and decorate your room for fall! I always think that my space is a reflection of how I’m feeling mentally and cleaning up, organizing, and redecorating your room can be a great break from studying. You can take a trip to a dollar tree, HomeGoods, or Target nearby to shop for things like spider webs, garlands, throw pillows, and mini pumpkins to get you excited for fall. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest and Tiktok for décor ideas that will keep you within your budget and make all the difference when you want to feel cozy on late homework nights. If you’re feeling ambitious, this would be the perfect time to switch over your spring and summer closet to fall and winter clothes, so you don’t feel any stress in the coming cold mornings when getting ready for class.
2. FALL DRINKS ON A BUDGET
The one thing that drains my bank account without fail every fall season is the limited time fall flavored coffees from my favorite caffes around campus. Because of this, I’ve found some ways to make iced coffees, lattes, and shaken espressos that have all the fall flavors I love from my room. If you don’t have a Keurig or espresso machine in your room, a great investment for basic iced coffees is any brand of instant coffee. These containers always last me a long time and all you need to do is mix with water, add any milk or creamer of your choice, and any flavored syrups or sweeteners. Trader Joe’s has great oat milk creamers in flavors like cinnamon bun and brown sugar, and Torani syrups are super affordable at TJMaxx with tons of flavors and sugar-free options to choose from. Another coffee idea without an espresso machine is using instant espresso powder to either make lattes or shaken espressos. Some of my favorite shaken espressos I’ve made so far have been with brown sugar, maple syrup, or Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter spread as sweeteners, and all with cinnamon on top. If you need a recipe to follow for any of these ideas, there are lots of basic ones online that you can add your own fall flavor twists to!
3. CRAFT NIGHT IN
One of my favorite ways to unwind throughout the semester no matter the time of year is by having a craft movie night in my room or lounge with friends. This can easily be made into a relaxing fall weekend activity by painting pumpkins and watching your go-to fall comfort show or movie. All you need to do is grab pumpkins from a local farm or grocery store, a few paints and brushes, and some paper or plastic bags for the floor. Pinterest has tons of idea for designs that you can do either for a Halloween theme or to match your other room décor. My friends and I find this really therapeutic and a great time to catch up with all our busy schedules.
All of these are great ways to get excited for the fall season as class workloads ramp up and the leaves start to change. It’s important to start finding a healthy work-life balance for the semester and enjoy everything the fall season has to offer while you can!