October is right around the corner, and with time flying past us, don’t forget to make time to enjoy the Halloween and fall spirit. Unfortunately, this time tends to be the shortest, and with the responsibilities college students juggle, it can be hard to make time for festive activities.
Here are some of my favorite ways to get into the fall/Halloween spirit as a college student:
- Fall scented candles
- DIY fall decorations
- Fall-themed TV background
- Listening to my fall playlist on my way home
- Making cute autumn outfits
- Visiting local autumn-themed events
This September, I started creating my own fall decorations based on TikTok tutorials. I always get a lot of inspiration from TikTok for seasonal decorations and fun activities. After deciding which decoration to create, I decorated paper chains with autumnal colors such as orange, yellow, brown, and green. I made a couple of chains and hung them over my window curtains. I also strung artificial fall leaves together and hung them from my ceiling.
My room doesn’t get much overhead lighting because I rely on lamps to give it a cozy look. One of my lamps is a candle warmer, so I get soft lighting and have a fall-scented room at the same time. As a senior in college, I can complete my assignments while being immersed in a fall ambiance that I created for myself.
As a student teacher, one of my priorities is to have cute teacher outfits ready for the week. I have made it a habit to have all outfits ready beforehand so that in the morning I have one less thing to worry about. With fall here, my goal is to create cute outfits that embrace the season. I have many cardigans and dresses to work with, so this season I try to incorporate more fall accessories into my outfits. I am still working on my teacher closet, so I want to go out and buy some fall-themed hair clips, headbands, and earrings. I want my 5th grade students to see the joy and happiness of life, and one way I show that is through how I present myself.
More personally, my night routine always ends with getting ready for bed. For me, this season looks like using fall-scented products (of course, make sure that they don’t irritate your skin). For my shower routines, I also incorporated a body scrub that leaves my entire bathroom smelling like a pumpkin threw up in there. After my shower, I lather up with a pumpkin chai lotion and end with another pumpkin chai-scented perfume. To make my nights even better, I always have a fall backdrop on my TV while I work on my assignments. Some people might think it’s too much, but incorporating these little things into my daily life helps me feel the holiday spirit.
Lastly, although our time is cut short as students, if I have a bit of space in my weekly schedule, I will go out with my friends or family to any local fall/Halloween events. This season, I plan on going to Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Nights with my sister. On our way to these events, we will go for a pumpkin spice chai latte or something similar while listening to our fall playlist. You’ll notice that you have to be very intentional with a lot of this.
Overall, if your goal is to make these seasons feel like the actual season, small, consistent actions every day will allow your days to feel much more festive.