We’ve all seen the day-in-my-life videos on TikTok featuring the nice aesthetics, the ones where students are sipping an iced matcha latte, burning a nice candle while studying, or even treating themselves to self-care after a long week of class. The phrase “romanticize your life” has blown up on social media, but to us, it should be more than a trend, rather, a lifestyle. For us college students, it should be a mindset shift that will help us navigate the stress in our lives, burnout, and the chaos of our everyday lives.
Why Romanticizing Should Be a Priority
College in 2025 is nothing but busy. Between juggling classes, internships, and maybe even a job, it’s easy to feel like life is moving extremely fast. Romanticizing your life doesn’t mean gaslighting yourself into thinking your life is perfect, it’s about finding the beauty in those imperfect moments. For many people, this can also be the time to slow down and prioritize their mental health as well, giving themselves the time to reflect.
The idea of this started trending when students began learning how to prioritize the small joys after the amount of uncertainty in their lives. Now, with the constant pressure of social media and comparison, this is the best time to learn how to romanticize your college life.
How to Romanticize College Without Faking It
1. Turn your walk to class into your moment
On your walk to class, I want you to put your headphones on and play your favorite song. Imagine yourself as the main character in your favorite show. Own it, head up, shoulders back!
2. Elevate your study routine
Having late-night study sessions doesn’t have to be draining and boring. Light your favorite candle, play some jazz music in the background, or make some of your favorite tea to sip on. The key with this is to be fully present within the moment.
3. Capture, but don’t compare
I want you to start learning how to find beauty in the smallest things in life. What do I mean by that? Take a picture of your matcha latte, the flowers in Atlantic Station, and wear a cute outfit to your favorite café. This is all about making the memories, because one day you’re going to look back on this time and wish you would’ve lived in the moment more.
Understanding the Bigger Picture
While romanticizing your life can be about the aesthetics, the reality is it should be about gratitude. It’s noticing the small things, like laughing with your friends at the game, the way the breeze feels on your skin, or how good it feels to check something off your to-do list on your calendar. For HBCU students, it’s important for us to realize our culture and history, and to take the time to really live in the moment and enjoy it. At the end of the day, you don’t have to live an expensive lifestyle or a certain aesthetic, you can still find beautiful moments in your college life.