Fall is finally here, and the whole lineup came with it: layered outfits, pumpkin spice lattes, cozy nights in, but above all, back-to-school season. The moment August 1st came, I started to realize just how much was ahead of me: classes, meal prep, gym, finances, the list goes on.
But that’s just the fast-paced culture fall creates, and it doesn’t slow down for anybody. Schedules fill up fast, there’s pressure to have everything figured out immediately, and everyone seems to be moving and achieving at once. The whole season feels like summer never officially ended, fall just began, and nobody was told.
It’s also the same season where I scroll on social media and it seems like everyone else has their life put together and their foot on the gas. The stylish back-to-school wardrobes and “september glow ups”, the aesthetic planners and color-coded note systems, the “must-have fall routines”, and “day in my life as a college student who does x,y, and z”.
And as a senior, it’s not only the fall content; it’s the amazing summer internships, job offers and interviews, or having post-grad life completely figured out.
One scroll and suddenly I’m drowning in the noise and influence of others; second-guessing whether I’m doing enough. And before I’ve set foot on campus, I’m already mentally exhausted from holding all of these thoughts and expectations.
This year, I don’t want to let the fast fall culture influence how I move. So I’m focusing on moving through fall on my terms, deciding for myself what this season looks like, and paying attention to what I actually need.
That looks like doing a few things:
- Grounding myself in the systems, structures, and practices I know work for my life right now– not some aestheticized cozy fall version of it.
- Giving myself time to be imperfect and out of rhythm as I transition from a still summer to a demanding fall, and reminding myself that that is okay.
- Learning to be at peace and feel secure with my timing and not worry about everybody else’s. I’m reminding myself that just because someone’s timeline is different doesn’t make it better or make them more successful.
These practices are more than a checklist for getting through back-to-school season, they are the themes I want to carry through fall as a whole. Because the goal is to live in my life honestly, not just in September but throughout the entire semester.
