How to appreciate the many wonders of fall

Ashley Song, Design Editor

There is nothing more refreshing than fall’s crisp breeze, the cold air on your skin making you sicker by the minute. You might even land yourself in bed due to a fever — the perfect time to reflect and prepare for the rest of the school year. Although fall seems unquestionably flawless, not everyone appreciates the festivities so here are some tips and tricks to enjoy the season of ever-popular pumpkin spice lattes.

Tip 1: Dress for the weather.

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram for hours, binging on photos of attractive people dressed to a tee? You too can become that trendsetting boy or girl. How? Well, one way to really get into the spirit of fall is to adjust your outfits to the weather accordingly. If this sounds difficult, do not worry. There’s no better time than now to try on those shorts or muscle tees you bought over the summer but did not get a chance to wear. If you’re especially lucky, you may catch a cold and your cheeks will flush, giving you a festive, rosy glow. You’ll be an Instagram icon in no time.

Tip 2: Lighting is everything.

There’s nothing that says fall like sweet, scented candles. Try to incorporate fall-themed scented candles into every part of your life to get the full fall experience. If you’re new to this “candle life,” head over to Bath and Body Works or Yankee Candles and invest in some great scented candles like “Flannel” because the smell of burning fabrics is sure to get everyone in the fall mood. Also consider purchasing “Crisp Morning Air” because walking to and from school definitely does not expose you to enough air. You can study by candlelight, cook by candle flames and even have a romantic candlelight dinner for one. This is also great for saving electricity and becoming more at peace with yourself.

Tip 3: Dead leaves are the best leaves.

Something particularly endearing about fall is the abundance of dead leaves and feeling their dry skeletons crunch under your shoes. Start each day with a leaf-pulverizing routine to get the most out of fall’s dry, flaky gift to you. You can also break in your new boots as you’re stomping away. If your group project is going downhill as most group projects do, do not take your anger out on your family members or new classmates. A piece of advice: take it out on the leaves. Why break people’s bones when you can break leaf bones instead? Fall is all about starting the new school year, so out with the old, crusty leaves.

Tip 4: Participate in Halloween.

One last tip for embracing fall is getting in the spirit of Halloween. You can dress up, watch horror movie marathons all by yourself or go from house to house in the middle of the night asking for sweets. Iconic. Teenagers are often shunned for trick-or-treating because they’re “too old” and they should “save some candy for the little kids.” Be independent and be strong and don’t listen to the pessimists. Instead, go trick-or-treating in your best costume. Walking around is great exercise, and exercising is essential to living a healthy lifestyle. To celebrate your healthy habits, treat yourself and indulge in your hard-earned candy. After all, who doesn’t love ingesting candy from complete strangers? Also consider celebrating the history of a halloween by trick-or-treating the traditional way — if you don’t receive treats from a house, you later go back and prank the residents of that house. This is perfect because everyone should try their hand at blackmail at least once a year.