Your Guide to the Best Spring Quarter Ever

Spring quarter can be hard. You’re just coming back from a blissful week of spring break, it’s your last quarter of the year, and you can’t help thinking, “why can’t it just be summer already?” But instead of just counting the days until summer, we’ve got the inside scoop on how to make this spring one of your best with a little help from some daily essentials.

First of all, stay organized! Knowing what you have coming up and being able to plan ahead for busy weeks or big assignments will make a huge difference for your stress levels. Erin Condren has the best planners out there – there’s a reason collegiettes swear by them! (YouTube star Elle Fowler loves hers so much she made a whole new channel devoted to her EC planner. Watch for serious planner envy and inspiration.) Erin Condren planners are perfect for jotting down assignment due dates, group project meetings, brunch plans, study dates, formals and more, and with the seriously gorgeous graphic designs on the divider pages, it’s also an on-demand pep talk when you’re feeling overwhelmed. This is a planner designed not just to help you plan each day, but celebrate each day too. 

Using your planner – and taking notes in class – is so much more fun when you have bright, colorful pens to use. By switching from a regular ballpoint pen to vibrant markers, you can transform to-do lists, schedules, and your organic chemistry notes into works of art (not humdrum chores). Even doodling in class is more fun!

Accessorizing in winter is easy: your options abound between gloves, hats, knit headbands, sweaters, blanket scarves, and mittens. But when temperatures start rising, it can be a little harder to throw together an outfit that keeps you cool but still looks put together. Luckily, Juicy Couture isn’t just about velour tracksuits anymore. Their pineapple pendant is the perfect finishing touch to your sundress or tee and jeans, understated but chic. Pineapples are ridiculously on-trend right now and this necklace is the perfect addition to any #ootd, whether you’re headed to a club meeting or a Friday night bonfire at Golden Gardens.

Even though Seattle is notorious for its June gloom (and we’ve been breaking rainfall records lately), there’s no reason to forego a golden glow this spring quarter. Avoiding the sun’s UV rays is always smart anyway – on those rare sunny days on campus, make sure you’re not overexposing, and use some sunscreen before heading to the beach. To get that bronzed, tanned look without the risk of skin cancer, try L’Oreal’s Self-Tanning Towelettes and Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion. The Towelettes are perfect for your face, since they’re 100% natural-looking and streak-free, plus its Vitamin E is great for your skin. Use the lotion on the rest of your body for an instant bronze glow that won’t rub off or streak. With these two products at your disposal, you can rock that white sundress no matter what the weather. 

By the time Seattle heats up, so have your classes, forcing you to juggle multiple group projects, midterms, and sweaty hair. Who has time for daily blow-outs after syllabus week? When you need to revive second- or third-day hair, you know you can trust the brand that brought you the original dry shampoo, Psssst! Their new tropical scent will transport you back to the carefree days of spring break, and its lightweight formula will fight grease while smelling great. Throw it in your backpack or purse so you can freshen up on the go – the travel size is convenient and ultra-portable.

It’s the last third of the school year – make it count! Whether you’re conquering a heavy courseload or enjoying the warm weather with friends, these Her Campus Spring Survival Kit essentials will make your spring quarter a blast. 

• HC survival kit