For most Freshers, Halloween is the first major event that you spend away from home, unless you’ve already celebrated your birthday, which can cause a lack of excitement. If you’re feeling like this, why don’t you try these five ways to get yourself into the spooky season whilst being at University?
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Tip 1: Decorate Your Space!
It’s very easy to lose track of tidiness in halls as we’re all extremely busy with lectures, socials and friendship outings but a very simple way to bring the Halloween spirit to your door is by coming home to a well decorated living space. You can even make this a fun activity to do with your flat mates at a very low cost!
You can start by purchasing a few pumpkins to go outside your doors (maybe fake ones if you want them to last all season!), hanging up some fake cobwebs with some plastic spiders in from the corners of the kitchen, or, if you’re really creative, making a Halloween banner out of paper and pens! You can decorate it with all things “halloweeny,” such as skeletons, bats, fake blood or, even, if you’re a real Halloween enthusiast, your favourite Halloween movie characters. Edward Scissorhands anyone?
And if your flat mates aren’t up for decorating, it’s fine, your room is your easel, and you can infect it every inch of it with Halloween! If you’re a big fan of the scary side of the season, you can get some ghost or skeleton figures to put around your room, hang some bats from the ceiling or even put some giant spiders on the wall. But, if you don’t like being scared, maybe some ghostly fairy lights or sparkly ceramic pumpkins will do the trick.
Tip 2: Halloween Films
Nothing creates a Halloween atmosphere more than watching some classic Halloween films with some spooky snacks whilst in the comfort of your own bed or in the kitchen, on the sofa, with some friends. Not only will they bond you with those who you watch them with, but they will also get you into the season and give you the itch to engage in more Halloween inspired activities. For those of you with Amazon Prime, you can watch Beetle Juice, It, The Conjuring, Sleepy Hollow and so many more. You Netflix lovers can stream Incantation, Eli, Monster House, Sabrina, and again, so many more scary – or funny – films to get you into the Halloween spirit.
Remember, you don’t need to have a desire for fear to watch a Halloween film. Nobody’s judging if you choose to watch Hocus Pocus or Coraline over It or Saw. If it gets you feeling spooky then that’s a job well done!
Tip 3: Start planning your Halloween “fit”.
One of the biggest tactics in life to help get yourself through the weeks and months is to always have something to look forward to, and in order to do that at University and get into the Halloween spirit, you need to have your Halloween outfit planned and ready! Not only does this get you well into the spooky spirit as it brings a sense of excitement, but it also helps you to engage in flat bonding (yes, that’s still essential in October!). So, as this is tip number 3, it’s essential to get searching on Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram and Google for this year’s best Halloween costumes that you can party all night long in, in your favourite clubs, bars, or even your own flat.
Also, don’t forget that you may need more than one! Night life at Uni is always busy and Halloween is no different. You may need to decide a group outfit with your flatmates, a duo outfit with your best and a solo outfit for yourself. And if you’re struggling, just remember that nothing will make you feel more Halloween-y and spooky than having all your costumes prepped and ready to go for Hallows-weekend!
Tip 4: Carving Pumpkins.
This may seem childish and boring, but nothing screams Halloween more than a wholesome pumpkin carving session with your friends, surrounded by your favourite Halloween treats and some music playing in the background. You could even throw a buzzball or two in there if you want to spice it up a bit! Pumpkin carving is an activity that most of us most likely did with our parents or friends back in our hometowns so, by engaging in a bit of pumpkin artistry this year, you’re bringing that Halloween spirit and love straight from your hometown to your new uni city. It may be cheesy, but it’s also wholesome! And again, if you’re not an artist at heart, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a permanent marker pen and just having a doodle over the pumpkin – it’ll still put you in the Halloween spirit!
Tip 5: Treating yourself to an autumnal snack!
For the last tip, it’s key to remember that getting into the Halloween spirit at University doesn’t always have to involve scary outfits, films and alcohol (although it can if you want it to!) and, in reality, it can be anything autumnal. A great way to make yourself feel festive whilst still attending your 9am lectures on time and getting 8 hours of sleep is indulging in some autumnal food and drink which can be found all across Sheffield in various different eateries, cafes and restaurants. It’s the city to eat as they say! Treating yourself to something such as a pumpkin spiced latte, a bat shaped cookie or a pumpkin infused herbal tea is an immediate way to warm your soul and get you feeling cosy and festive without engaging in activities that aren’t quite your cup of tea.
Why not try…
- Starbucks’ signature pumpkin-spiced latte?
- Costa’s Maple Hazel latte?
- The autumnal snacks that you can find in Sheffield’s many cafes and eateries?
Starting university is a massive transition and, for most of us, it leaves us feeling very homesick, but a great way to get over that is to get into festive spirits, especially at this time of the year where it’s festivity after festivity! Give these tips a go and you may find yourself enjoying Halloween at university more than you ever did at home!
