As the leaves change color and the air turns cold and crisp, it's time to whip out the pumpkin spice lattes and embrace the flavors of fall. From seasonal vegetables, like pumpkins and squashes, to the dishes that make you want to curl up by a fire, fall is a time for cozy nights and the smell of cinnamon.
Every season has its associated food, clothes and activities. Pumpkin spice lattes, flannels and apple picking all bring fall to mind. Yet, my most fall-esque associations will always be Bon Iver, Noah Kahan’s Stick Season and Taylor Swift’s Evermore. Hopefully, this music will bring you the same autumnal joy it brings me.
When I think of Taylor Swift’s album Red, a few things come to mind. Structurally, I think of how the album demonstrated Swift’s potential to segue from country to pop, offering hits like “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Beyond this, though, I think of the personal memories I have associated with Red.
Without a doubt, fall is my favorite season of the year. From the colder weather to the exciting holidays, there’s so much to look forward to. With the abundance of activities to do, my fall bucket list certainly grows year after year. Here are eight things that I’m hoping to get done this fall, and maybe you’ll find some things to add to your bucket list as well!
The seasons changing offers a perfect excuse to kick back and relax on a cool night. Amid midterm season and the endless stress of college life, we all deserve a break or two. So here are some ways to spend your free time effectively as the weather turns cold, or just to have a cozy night in your dorm.
Gilmore Girls was never a hit during its original run. It didn’t win awards or gain a large following, but the show’s Netflix-sponsored revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, and the wave of millennial nostalgia in the past two decades sparked the show’s current fame. Its enduring cultural impact is a hallmark of Gilmore Girls itself; there’s a hard-to-place something about the show that makes it appeal to its large fanbase today.
Before the season of nostalgic Christmas movies and cheesy Hallmark Channel love stories comes television with its own unique aesthetic — movies and TV show episodes that simply match September-November energy. The fall season has lots of nostalgic, light-hearted choices to pick from, so here is a list of my top movies and TV shows to watch as the weather starts to cool down. This list purposely excludes horror movies, as they are a category of their own.
Why is it that we associate the season of fall with endings? The answer seems obvious when we place fall in context with the other seasons. It comes after the bright and warm vitality of summer, and it precedes the barren wasteland of winter. Naturally, we call that process of going from life to death “dying”. Thus, we could think of fall as a melancholic season of endings.
Autumn is the season of in-betweens. It is the soothing nook — a gentle space of transition — between Baltimore’s sweltering summers and its icy winters.
Coming from South Florida, I grew up experiencing an endless summer, punctuated by the winter ‘cold fronts’ every few years that would bring temperatures down into the 60s. Every day, the weather was warm, the air was humid and the sun was bright. Fall was no different, distinguished from the rest of the year only as being the second half of hurricane season and the tail end of the wet season.
As a rising sophomore, I remember being nervous to apply to courses as I was freshly entering college last year. I would wonder, “Is my course load too tough?” or “How can I be sure that I will like the class?” After two semesters of grappling with these thoughts, here is a list of my top three favorite courses (not in any particular order):
It’s important to recognize that you are a student at an elite institution and that this status carries immense privilege with it. You are likely a transient member of the Baltimore community, hopefully here to learn from residents of the city — not only from your educational institution, but from leaders in Baltimore, who are experts in their fields, as well as community members, who are experts on their own experiences.
It’s everything you’ve worked toward. It’s what all your high school years have been leading up to. It’s college. College is one of the biggest transitions — a stepping stone from the more rigid high school setting to the freedom of adulthood. Here, people get a taste of independence, gain new experiences and meet a world of different people.
Everything you do has an opportunity cost. More time studying means less time with friends. Going to office hours might mean missing a club meeting. Rather than feeling overwhelmed with all the options while trying to do it all, think about what matters to you most and prioritize those.
Upon my arrival at Hopkins, it seemed that everyone around me immediately congregated into friend groups. At first, these social clusters were loose and ever-changing, breaking apart and re-forming like schools of fish. I kept hearing people say, “Join as many clubs as you can” and “Put yourself out there.” The hostess at HomeSlyce Pizza Bar told me, “It took me till junior year to find my people. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”
Even as a senior at Hopkins, I haven’t exactly mastered control over my own homesickness. Initially, this lack of proficiency was a product of not experiencing much homesickness early on in my time at Hopkins. More recently, during my semester abroad in Paris, I was overwhelmed by how isolated I felt. It’s likely that no one is completely in control of their homesickness, but over the years, I have found a few effective strategies to mitigate dwelling on it.
College is a fast-paced and information-packed environment where it's easy for students to fall behind if not properly prepared. However, in the age of the internet where information is at our fingertips, there is nothing you can't find, learn or utilize online. Here are eight helpful websites you may find helpful during your time in college. Don't forget to bookmark them!
So you’re feeling overwhelmed with coursework... The funny thing about time management is that it is neither about time nor management. During my first semester at Hopkins, I had almost 700 pages of required readings a week. Between that, an on-campus job, application essays and various extracurriculars, I was overwhelmed and fell behind on my responsibilities. Being diligent with a calendar and checking boxes in a planner only goes so far when there are only 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
There are a few terms and phrases which are endlessly repeated in Hopkins small talk and have varying importance. If you’ve ever heard someone discuss how they “want to become more involved” or how they need to “find their people,” then you’ve already witnessed what I would name the “Hopkins anxiety” or more simply, “Hopkins FOMO.” Basically, everyone is constantly anxious to make new connections and further their career. Just another part of the ambition that Hopkins requires.
Freshman year of college is a thrilling experience. As you begin this new chapter of life, you’ll be bombarded with opinions, expectations and responsibilities. Looking back, there are several crucial lessons and insights that many students wish they had known before stepping foot on campus.
