We threw aside hot girl summer the moment corduroy and shades of browns replaced the denims and pastels in our wardrobes. But luckily, feral girl fall has welcomed us all—with just enough time to let us show off our Halloween costumes before completely freezing our playboy bunny tails off. But as temperatures continue to drop, so does our strength to stand in lines for clubs downtown with nothing but the liquids we consumed at the pregame earlier that night to keep out the chill. And, before even realizing it, our options become confined to only to campus, right in time for cuffing season.

The time has come for us to struggle through yet another inevitable but still dreaded exam season. Whether all your assignment deadlines seem to fall in the same week, or there aren’t enough office hours in the world to help you understand your latest problem set, these hectic times can induce anxiety. We here at Spectrum might not be able to tutor you—don’t even think about bribing us into writing your papers—but we can definitely offer a few psychological tips to ease your stress and boost your brain during midterms.

It's the 31st day of October in the early 2000s. Today marks the last day before rows of candy canes replace the bags of candy corn in the aisles of your local grocery store, and string lights and snowflakes replace the carved pumpkins and cotton spider-webs that once dressed the homes of your neighborhood. You discussed the plans for tonight with your friends for weeks—and even though the chances are low—you can only hope that Halloween doesn’t fall on a school night this year.

To those who need to hear it: You don’t have to spend your weekend on the bleachers of Wien Stadium to make Columbia feel like home. We say that school spirit fills the air this weekend, but that may not feel true for all of us.

To those who need to hear it: Just because the leaves are shriveling up doesn’t mean you need to be too.