Living on campus, especially as a freshman or sophomore who may not have a car on campus can feel restricting. Sometimes the repetitive nature of classes, clubs, and studying can make you feel like you’re stuck. When you pair that with increasingly monotone surroundings and falling temperatures, it can make a girl feel pretty blue!
As a restless girl who went from a walkable, thriving hometown to a small, somewhat remote campus without a car, I had to learn ways to shake this feeling of being trapped, bored, and uninspired– specifically when the harsh fall rolled around. So, here are some ways to shake up your routine and rid yourself of that no-good fall funk…
Tag along
Is your friend planning a Walmart or Aldi run? Go with them! Walmart runs freshman year are always iconic— six people jammed into a five-passenger car just to go. Most people didn’t even buy anything. They were just there for a good time.
Let’s bring that energy back! (Minus the traffic and safety violations, of course…)
Act like you have an audience
This is admittedly stupid, but it works really well for me—Pretend like everyone is admiring you.
Put on a really cute outfit, do your makeup, plaster on a pleasant smile, and take to campus. Say hi to people you vaguely know and then sit at your laptop, laser-focused.
Everyone will be thinking to themselves, “Wow. Look at her. She is that girl.”
If you want to be really dedicated to your fans, you can even make a little day-in-the-life TikTok. Even if you don’t post it, just recording works wonders.
Plan a study date
Even if you are a solo studier, a study date with a friend or two lifts everyone’s moods. A two-hour half-gossip half-typing hangout won’t hurt anything. It gives you something to look forward to and hopefully a buzz to work off of!
Bonus: If you ask the girl you sit next to in class if she wants to go the LaVerna and work on your classwork, or your orientation buddy to meet in Plassman.
Get outside
There are so many ways to be outside—study, walk, roller skate, sit. Just get outside!
I am the biggest proponent of excessive outside time because I just feel like we will regret wasting beautiful days indoors. Fresh air flowing into your lungs somehow knocks out any stagnant energy you may have.
Host a themed night
You know those cute TikToks you watch of aesthetic girl nights? There is nothing stopping you from doing a low-budget version yourself!
Get a few snacks and friends and have a themed movie night, or pick a color and theme a night out to match! It really doesn’t take a lot to make something feel a little extra special.