It’s officially autumn; the leaves are changing, a jacket is needed for every outfit, and pumpkin-themed everything is already taking over. As a college student, it can be difficult to get out of a warm cozy bed and step out into the chilly weather. Combined with burnout from mid-terms, seasonal fatigue, and reduced daylight, staying productive can be challenging. Here are some tips to maintain productivity with the changing season.
- Find a cozy study spot
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While the bed is always more cozy, finding a study spot by a window with a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa can help channel your inner Rory Gilmore. The scenery with the changing colors of tree leaves is beautiful. While getting to your spot may be a challenge, the crisp autumn air will wake you up. For Jefferson, I highly recommend studying on the second floor of the Gutman Library by the windows. Vault & Vine is a local coffee shop near campus that is also great for studying and buying fall-flavored warm drinks and pastries. My personal favorites from V&V are a caramel and hazelnut steamer with a freshly baked blueberry muffin.
- Schedule fun fall activities
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Fall is full of fun activities like apple picking, pumpkin carving, hiking, corn mazes, hayrides, baking, and more. These activities are great to do with a group of friends or family. I highly recommend planning any of these activities on the weekend to motivate you to finish your studying during the week. Spending a Saturday or Sunday perfectly breaks up the long stretches of studying while ensuring that you relax and spend time with your loved ones.
- Look forward to upcoming holidays
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Many holidays occur back-to-back in October-December, which I consider the best quarter of the year. My personal favorite is Halloween, but I love feasting on Thanksgiving and all the festivities of Christmas. Usually shortly after mid-terms, you can celebrate by going to a haunted attraction or a Halloween party with friends. I find dressing up to be fun itself, and I am torn on what I want to be this Halloween if I decide to buy a costume. I currently have some pink in my hair, so I am thinking either Starfire from Teen Titans or maybe Atom Eve from Invincible (I know she has red hair but still, her outfit is pink and I love her). If you have pink hair too, both costume ideas would look great!
After only about three weeks of classes after Halloween, it’s already time for Thanksgiving break! You’ll get time to decompress, spend time with loved ones, and feast. My personal favorites to eat on Thanksgiving are stuffing, mashed potatoes, and corn. Just thinking about break and eating on Thanksgiving motivates me to get through the next few weeks of class. Furthermore, after Thanksgiving break, we only have one more week of class and then finals. It will officially be the homestretch and the whole month of December will be full of beautiful wreaths, string lights, gingerbread houses, candles, and other festive decor. The end of the month will end with exchanging gifts on Christmas and the start of a new year, which is exciting. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, there are other celebrations that occur in December like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Yule.
Hopefully at least some of these can be used to motivate you to make it through school during the busiest, but most fun time of year!