You’re a fan of everything fall: pumpkins and hot chocolate, crunchy leaves and scary movies, post-Halloween candy sales and bouquets of newly sharpened pencils. If someone offered you a pumpkin-spice-anything right now, you’d explode with ecstasy. And if you could hit every fall festival on this list, you totally would.
The trouble is, you’re living away from home for the first time — maybe even out of state or in a new climate, where the leaves may not even change color. It’s normal to be homesick for those familiar signs of fall. But college is a great opportunity to create your own traditions, make new friends, and reinvent your love for the season. And we’re here to help.
Get pumped for autumn — which arrived on Sept. 23 — with our 7 ways to celebrate fall on a college student’s budget.
Set an autumnal mood by decorating your residence hall with everything spooky-and-spice.
You probably already have a favorite fall playlist. If not, take inspiration from ours:
Don’t let anyone fool you: All you really need to celebrate fall is a cup of steaming hot chocolate and an autumnal treat. You’ll have to invest in the ingredients, but in the long run, baking at home is still cheaper than splurging on a fancy fall brunch.
Settle in with your favorite quilt and that mug of chocolate. Once you start these books, you won’t want to put them down. (Read these recommendations for free through your campus library, Hoopla, or Overdrive.)
What it’s about: A modern take on fairytales, The Hazel Wood begins in an autumnal New York City shivering on the edge of magic. Seventeen-year-old Alice has grown up hearing whispers of her grandmother’s famous collection of folklore, but she is forbidden to read any of it, especially the chilling story that bears her name, “Alice-Three-Times.” (It begins, “When Alice was born, her eyes were black from end to end, and the midwife didn’t stay long enough to wash her.” It gets darker from there.) When her mother is kidnapped by otherworldly creatures, Alice embarks on a quest that leads her deeper into the supernatural — and closer to the truth of her childhood.
Why you’ll love it: Albert brings this fantasy to life through concrete, descriptive prose that enchants you to read just one more page. Interspersed with gruesome tales that would make the Grimm brothers proud (especially “The Door That Wasn’t There”), this book is just scary enough to count as an October read.
What it’s about: Dreamlike prose plunges you into a world that’s born of dark magic and half-remembered nightmares. Chloe lives with her older sister Ruby near a vast, black reservoir that flooded a town in 1914. Sometimes, the sisters imagine diving into the deep and selecting a souvenir from that submerged world. Sometimes, Ruby says she thinks Chloe could actually do it. But Ruby, a charismatic force in their New York town, is fond of tall tales — and Chloe is no longer sure what’s real. Two years ago, she found her classmate, London, dead in the reservoir. Now London is back, and only Chloe remembers that terrible night in the water. Did London really die at all? Can Chloe even trust her own memories? And what secrets does her magnetic older sister keep?
Why you’ll love it: Suma’s twisty, atmospheric fantasy is the ideal choice for a chilly fall night. Its eerie setting and compelling characters will make you stay up way past your bedtime — and when you do fall asleep, you’ll dream of the sunken town of Olive, pushing up through the silent surface of the reservoir.
What it’s about: Suspended in eternal youth, Cole is a “heme” who must feed on blood to stay alive. He’s learned to keep his vampiric thirst in check — and with it, his emotions. Haunted by a mistake he made long ago, Cole is an expert at pushing others away. Love, as Cole puts it, is a luxury he can no longer afford. But when he’s tasked to train a new heme, Cole must reconnect with his tragic past and chart a path to redemption.
Why you’ll love it: You don’t have to be a vampire fan to enjoy Night Road. Jenkins offers a heartbreaking, sophisticated take on the genre, exchanging bloodsucking thrills for finely drawn characters and a powerful theme of self-forgiveness.
Get your friends together for a Halloween movie night in your residence hall with three spooky films free from your library or for about $4 from Amazon Prime. We’ve listed the flicks in order of scariness (least to most), so you can choose just how little sleep you want to lose tonight.
Chock-full of spirits, possessions, and gross green goo, Ghostbusters (2016) qualifies as Halloween fare without being actually scary. Watch it for Kate McKinnon’s hilarious performance as the mad inventor Holtzmann.
From 1998, this cult classic manages to be both cozy and creepy. Evil spirits and dark enchantments make an appearance, but then again, so do sisterly bonds, witchy desserts, and magical mansions. You’ll be pumped for Halloween as soon as the credits roll.
Dread permeates Jordan Peele’s brilliantly constructed Get Out (2017), which delivers smart social commentary and plenty of thrills. Be prepared to never look at a teacup the same way again. (Why didn’t Peele’s most recent horror film, Us, make this list? We were too terrified to watch it after having seen Get Out. Add it to your movie night at your own peril).
Autumnal activities don’t have to be costly. You’ll find plenty of seasonal entertainment in your own backyard, if you know where to look. Follow the safety tips in this blog post before you embark on any adventures.
Campus events offer a cost-effective way to meet new people at college and get into the fall spirit. (USF’s homecoming week takes place Oct. 6–12 and includes everything from a comedy show to a parade).
Wherever you live, there’s bound to be at least one ghost story, and fall is the season to seek the spirits in your hometown. If you live near the Bulls’ stomping grounds, try the following haunts:
Why not spend this fall making the world a better place for others? When you volunteer, you’re not only benefiting others, you’re also helping yourself. Studies have linked volunteering “to health benefits like lower blood pressure and decreased mortality rates,” according to an article in The New York Times. Here are some ways to spread autumn cheer:
Curious how USF students celebrate fall? Contact the Center for Student Involvement to learn about upcoming events and find out how you can get involved. If you have questions about USF’s admissions process, you can reach the USF Office of Admissions online or by phone at 813-974-3350. We’re always happy to chat.