Your official guide to romanticising Autumn as a Nottingham student

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we start to find it harder to tackle the trials and tribulations of student life. Autumn can be a bit bleak in comparison to the warmer months which means it’s doubly as important to appreciate the simpler things. Here are a few tips from an ex-fresher on how to glamourise the not-so-glamorous aspects of being a Notts student in Autumn.

Go to the Portland building

If you’re feeling a little low after a long day of lectures or if you’re just looking to treat yourself while you’re on campus, head to the Portland building to seek refuge from the drizzly British weather. If like me your work has started to pile up you should reward yourself and head to Portland Coffee and grab yourself a pricey coffee or niche drink such as a turmeric latte and get cracking on that essay you’ve been putting off for the past two weeks. Bonus points if you manage to find a table by the window so you can stare out onto the green pastures of Highfields Park.

Go to Avocafé

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As a second year who has recently discovered this gem, I can confirm that once you’ve there is no going back. Whether it’s a Saturday morning and you’re having a juicy debrief on your previous night out while incredibly hungover with your mates or you just decided to fob off lectures by convincing yourself you would go there to work, there’s no better café to romanticise Autumn in. Avocafé do the best brunch foods for pretty reasonable prices and their coffees are really good as well as having free Wi-Fi. So if you haven’t left your dingy little room for the day head there and treat yourself to some fresh air.

Pick up a book

I know it sounds incredibly tedious or like something that your parents mention once in a while when you’ve been on your phone too much, but I strongly believe that reading brings so much peace. Even if it’s just in the warmth of your bed, by a window in a coffee shop, or somewhere with a nice view, there’s no better feeling than getting into a book to help romanticise the dark academic aesthetic on a grim day. Check out Blackwell’s in the Portland building or Waterstones in town for their seasonal book recs. If you don’t find anything you like, there’s still something quite autumnal about perusing a bookstore and skimming over blurbs of books with pretty covers as you feel the warmth from the tasty beverage in your hand. You might surprise yourself with what you find and fall in love with reading again.

Have a chill night in

Not to sound like a grandma who has completely gone off going out, but as someone who probably overdid it in first year, the novelty of clubbing every week has somewhat worn off. Autumn is the time to be in your housewife or househusband era. A fave of mine is having a chill night in and putting on your favourite TV series such as Gilmore Girls or The Vampire Diaries.

Maybe even try and bake something you’ve been craving whether that be cookies, cake or bread. Trust me when I say you’ll become everyone’s favourite housemate and there’s no better accomplishment than having other people compliment your cooking.

Get in the Halloween mood

Halloween is fast approaching and if you’re like me then you’re already stressing about your costume and prepping for the big day. Aside from worrying about your plans for that night, there are other things you can do to romanticise the spooky season. There is something quite wholesome about watching scary movies with your house and then getting freaked out together every time you hear a creak in the other room or when the doorbell rings. I highly recommend it.

Another suggestion is going to the Halloween section in the supermarket to buy some overpriced treats like ghost-shaped marshmallows and convincing yourself you need them as part of your weekly grocery shop. Finally, the most obvious thing to do is pumpkin carving. It’s always a good way to engage in some friendly competition with your housemates but be warned as the stench of pumpkins will probably permeate your kitchen for the next three days.

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•Your complete and ultimate guide to the upcoming gigs in Nottingham this month

•‘I found a rat in my bed’: Notts students share their craziest stories from Freshers’ 2023

•It’s time to relearn the alphabet, here’s the ultimate A-Z of student life in Notts