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Autumn: Expectations vs Reality

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

1. Autumn Fashion

Expectation: Autumn is the perfect time to try out some new fashion trends. Cute scarves, berry colours and cosy sweaters are going to be our new essentials. Now that it is getting colder it’s time to layer some beautiful pieces and finally buy a beautiful coat. We are going to look so nice this autumn, dancing in an ocean of colourful autumn leaves.

Reality: We were right about the cosy sweaters. Big sweaters. And a pair of leggings – good to go! Boyfriend style. That’s what we call it to make it sound even a bit fancy. We just can’t help ourselves but it’s so cold outside! We don’t even want to leave our bed, let alone our room. Can’t be bothered to think about cute outfits, really.

 

2. Having a Cold

Expectation: Having a cold is normal during autumn, but it’s not going to hit us hard this year. We have been eating our veggies and fruit, worked out and always wear a scarf so we won’t get ill. No need to worry about a little cold. A red nose and some cute sneezes will even look good on us. And, of course, our special someone will love to take care of us.

Reality: We never really recovered from the fresher’s flu anyway, so coughing and sneezing is part of our everyday repertoire. If we finally manage to come to some health again, colds are still all around us. Let’s be honest here: it is even more annoying to sit next to someone in lecture, who coughs all the time, than having a cough yourself.

 

3. Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Expectations:

The infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte or PSL (what fancy hipsters call it) may be our favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks. We cannot wait to finally drink our first PSL of the year, which is the perfect combination of our beloved coffee and the taste of autumn. Let’s take our girlies to Portland Building – it’s time for some chit chatting about cuties while sipping on our favourite autumn drink.

Reality:

We are really excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes until we remember how expensive Starbucks is. Nevertheless, we get our last quids together and buy this magical incarnation of autumn. Unfortunately, the taste of a PSL is far from magical. Weirdly spiced coffee with no evidence of pumpkin what so ever is not what we expected at all. Bye PSL, hello old friend Caramel Macchiato.

 

4. Halloween

Expectations: It’s Mean Girls time! Our all-time favourite teen rom-com is our favourite Halloween costume inspiration as well. Halloween is the one time of the year when a girl can dress slutty without being judged. Get out the lingerie and sexy bunny costumes, we’re ready to party!

Reality: Mean Girls makes Halloween costumes seem so easy but they forget some major problems. We’d love to be a mouse (duh?!) and just wear lingerie and ears but a) it’s freaking cold outside by the end of October and b) people will probably judge, even on Halloween. The only thing left to do is to just dressing as always and draw a spider on your cheek. Boom! You’re a witch.

 

5. Autumn leaves

Expectations: Crisp, colourful leaves everywhere! Green magically turns into deep red, bright orange and yellow.  We love to watch nature’s wonderland and wander around campus, not missing out on any crunchy leaf. The sound of these crisp leaves cracking underneath our boots = heaven!

Reality: We love our autumn leaves, they really turn the world into a better place! Unfortunately, photoshopped autumn pictures are still far from reality. After one week of colourful goodness our wonderland turns into a thick, slippery unpleasantness. When you finally fall on your arse the third time, you finally realise that autumn just isn’t like you expected it to be.

 

Edited by Harriet Dunlea

Image sources:

http://funnypicturesplus.com/autumn.html

https://www.wpinsure.com/blog/time-to-fall-back/

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3ocn24

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3voo59

http://allmadhera.deviantart.com/art/Cobweb-Make-up-341024987

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/autumn/images/35867786/title/autumn-wallpape…

21-year-old fashion lover from Berlin, Germany, currently discovering the Brits and Nottingham. My life is a black and white movie filled with ripped, skinny jeans.I'm secretly married to Matty Healy.
Harriet Dunlea is Campus Correspondent and Co-Editor in Chief of Her Campus Nottingham. She is a final year English student at the University of Nottingham. Her passion for student journalism derives from her too-nosey-for-her-own-good nature.