Not So Pathetic Fallacy: Living University Through the Seasons

As someone whose mood is greatly influenced by the season, whether that is through my romanticism or sensitivity to the temperature, one of the joys of moving to Edinburgh is being able to make the most of each season and all it has to offer. Poets have long linked meaning and mood to weather, through what a Victorian critic termed “pathetic fallacy”. Well I think it's not so pathetic, but rather something that can enhance our experience, especially in a highly idealised period in life such as university, and which can carry us through the different stages of growth or rest that occur throughout the year.

When the leaves burn and crisp at their edges, and a comforting melancholy falls over the world, many of us are starting a new academic year. My personal favourite season of autumn seems counterintuitive to new beginnings, as this is where nature starts to slow down and wither. However, I have always been partial to it for the comfort and warmth that can be found in spite of this. Especially as a fresher, September through to November is chaos personified: new routines, people, events, classes and a new version of yourself. While the weather permits some activity, it still reins you in with an occasional chilly, rainy day or two. This can be a blessing for those overstimulated by the rush of constantly pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and always having an activity planned. You are forced to sit inside and partake in a more somber activity, or brave the worsening weather which can be fun in itself. Although doing more active things with new people is a great way to bond, I found where I made my true friends was spending hours together indoors, cooking, playing a board game, or doing some crafty thing together. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but appreciating the weather's way of tempering this buzzing yet sometimes petrifying time in your life is something to look forward to. I also find it quite motivating for academics, as there is still sunlight to keep me going, but I can enjoy a warm cup of coffee in a café, bother the friend I forced to study with me, and watch as the rain sends streaks down the foggy window overlooking Edinburgh's cobbles.

Next is the time that most of us find the toughest, a season to survive. There's a reason that animals hibernate during the winter, and I'm sure we've all wished we could also take a long nap under the ground too. Just when you want to fill up your social calendar, the days shorten so much that if you are the average uni student with a questionable sleep schedule you barely see the sun. And if you were like me, you naively believed it wouldn't have much of an effect on you, and you would be, as I was, sorely mistaken. As someone who rejects scheduling, I'm starting to think it is the only way to get by in these trying times. I remember feeling so dejected one day that I decided to wake up at 7am (the earliest I had woken up in a while) and take myself down to Portobello. Whether it was the vitamin D, taking a day to myself, or just being up at a reasonable hour, it annoyingly helped. Another thing to look forward to and to use to strengthen your connection with people is to indulge in the festivities of Christmas. Host a Secret Santa so you can buy your friend a pair of socks with your face on them, and have a spectacularly imperfect Christmas dinner that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy afterwards. The least you can do for yourself is have a little gratitude for the life you are slowly building and the people around you. January and February are stripped of the safety of holiday spirit to keep you upright, but it won’t last forever, and again, a little scheduling and sunlight may be the survival strategy that you need.

Spring creeps and nestles into the world, just like the good things that you realise you have from the small bits of effort you put in earlier. Even if you still feel like you’re floundering through your year, you have to admit you’ve learned something, whether that be the time of your lectures, how to cook a banging curry or just the resilience you have to get through unprecedented times. The meadows are rife with pink blossoms and maybe you have begun looking for flats. If things haven’t gone to plan, as they often don’t, you can seek some renewal in this season. Sometimes touching grass really does work: go on some day trips, go to botanical gardens, go to the library because you have exams that you forgot were actually quite soon. Your social life can take quite a hit when everyone goes into solitary confinement with a side of Red Bull during exam season. The momentum to join societies or put yourself out there dims, and this is where strengthening your old relationships comes in. Meeting new people is a joy, but deepening the bonds you already have with people you met a few months ago adds a depth and security to those friendships, and you’ll now have plenty of opportunity to ‘study’ together.

Congrats! You’ve made it to Summer. I admit that I find this season garish, with the inescapable heat and long stretch of ungoverned time, but now I have the freedom to decide to make the most of it. If you are staying in Edinburgh, indulge yourself in the Fringe, and complain about all the tourists so you can feel high and mighty about living here. And if you're returning home and feel like you’ve been snapped back into your teenage self, try something new out and commit to a project. Nothing can erase the growth you’ve had, so find a way to unstick yourself from your old habits. You’ll probably find yourself missing your old life, your freedom, your friends but it will come back next year as cyclically as the seasons and there are always ways to connect with those things despite not being there.

Wherever you're going, take the time to think about all the things you’ve learned and how you’re going to approach your next year and get ready to go through the whole cycle all over again, for better or for worse. Pathetic fallacy doesn’t feel so pathetic when you apply it to your life. Seasons and weather cannot perfectly mirror what you are going through, but they offer both transformation and the comfort of knowing that everything comes full circle in the end.