Sweater weather is finally here. Colder days are coming, and that means students are looking forward to spending more time indoors using weighted blankets, lighting s’mores and scented candles and diving into endless Halloween movie binges.
Junior Rebecca Schaechter is preparing for fall by frequently stopping by Target to check out the dollar section.
Target has had their dollar section stocked with pumpkins since mid-September. Shelves are filled with travel mugs wrapped in sweater sleeves, spooky welcome mats and fuzzy socks.
T.J. Maxx and Marshalls also have their decor out and ready for picking like a ripe pumpkin.
Students like Schaechter have been waiting for the perfect time to get their college budget decor.
“I’ve really stocked up on candles this year. I definitely bought way too many, but I’ll probably use them all while I’m cooped up inside this winter,” Schaechter said.
While temperatures are dropping, spirits on campus are not. Bringing in new fall decor is one way to prepare for the season, but junior Candice Gericke has another idea.
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go,” Gericke said.
She is ready to leave summer behind and start some new fall traditions like marathoning Halloween movies. Streaming services have entire categories dedicated to this spooky season. Hulu has their new “Huluween” category, which has specific mini-categories dedicated to vampires, eerie reality and humorous horror.
Netflix and HBO also have their Halloween categories all queued up for audiences. Don’t forget to catch “Hocus Pocus” practically everyday this October on Freeform. It’s time to invest in a weighted blanket because midterms won’t be the only thing scaring students this fall.
Along with all of these visually fun and comfortable strategies to keep students entertained while indoors, it’s important to keep the kitchen stocked. Mix up the pumpkin spice routine and keep spiced chai tea mix in the pantry. It has one third the caffeine of a cup of coffee, so it’s perfect for those late night study sessions.
Studying alone can get old very quickly, but baking snickerdoodles provides the perfect excuse to invite friends over for a group study session.
The new season brings so many wonderful things to enjoy, so make sure to share them with a friend. Also remind them to set their clock back on Nov. 3 for daylight savings time. The mornings will be getting darker and the nights will become shorter.
All of this makes it tempting to hide inside all season long, but if you stay inside everyday then you will not be able to see your college-budget friendly decorations as you go to and from to class each day.
Even though stepping outside for an 8 a.m. class can seem scarier than gory movies on Hulu, students will be positively prepared for the fall season coming their way.
