Dear Autumn: A Letter from a Winter Worshipper and Summer Shunner

Photo source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/142074563217312478/

I've had enough. I'm sick of you trying to change yourself. Autumn, it's time to just be you.

Look, the 35 degree days were cute at the start. It was kind of nice being able to enjoy summer even as March drew to a close - I could swim more, get a tan (well, sort of) and enjoy my summer clothes a little bit longer. I enjoyed the mornings being warm, I enjoyed the middle of the day being warm, I enjoyed the evenings being warm.

But now I'm sick of warm. I've done the jeans shopping (is it not the most traumatic experience ever?), had Ed Sheeran's 'Autumn Leaves' on repeat, and started moving my boots from the top of my wardrobe down to where I can reach them every day. Look around Australia: Sydney is having RAIN (wow, what's that?) and 20 degree days, Melbourne is around the same, and even sunny Brisbane is delivering on rain (and a cyclone, but we'll ignore that). Autumn, get your act together. I want to wear my new boots and jeans and a nice cosy jumper. Paleness can become more socially acceptable and  Instead of my Instagram feed being filled with sun and swimming, it can be filled with soup and scarves.

But really? We need a whole lotta rain. And with the rest of the week staying at around 30 degrees every day, it doesn't look like it's coming soon. I wouldn't mind a little cold weather, even with some sun still out. Just under 24 degrees Celsius (24 and up, in my opinion, is shorts weather), maybe a cloud or too, just one storm, a few freezing days…and then you can have summer back.

Let's be honest, when it gets to the end of winter, I'll be dying for a little sun and a few days where a t shirt and shorts is appropriate clothing for the weather. But for now? I'd like a little rain and a lot of cold.

Even if it's only so I can justify a pair of Hunter wellington boots…

Saving The Planet: One Student at a Time

When it comes to saving world, it's not always the easiest task. Take 2 minute showers? I don't think so. Walk or hop on a bus to get everywhere? Sorry, not going to happen. Live a purely digital life, and never print anything off (but make sure you use rechargeable batteries/ don't charge your electronic devices too often/ turn them off at the wall at night)? Pretty unrealistic, don't you think?

So why do we have no problem in recycling? Because it's so easy. You grab your paper, chuck it in the recycling bin, and it's just as easy as throwing it in the rubbish. Why can we turn off a light switch before we leave the room, but not unplug every single electrical appliance before leaving the house? Because turning off a light switch literally takes two seconds, whereas unplugging our television leaves us crawling around on our hands and knees, trying to find where exactly that cable ends (and discover a small population of dust bunnies).

So here are a couple of tips to be more planet friendly as a student. They're so easy, I promise you won't even notice you're doing anything different.

1. Get organised
I find it so much easier to print off my lecture notes and study them before exams instead of reading on a computer (something about the looking straight ahead and having Facebook at the tips of my fingers creates a few problems). However, last year I found myself losing lecture notes and slides after I'd printed them and then having to reprint them (sometimes more than once). The solution? Put a few holes in them, and file them away. You won't have to waste paper printing them and you'll be more organised overall.

2. Efficient printing
Like I said, I like printing my notes off and having them on hand - I do find it much easier. However, my uni notes don't need to be printed on the best quality paper (recycled paper does the job just fine). If you print double sided, you reduce the number of pages you use - the same goes for reducing your margins. As for the quality of the actual printing, do you really need the best quality ink for your Political Science tutorial notes? No, I didn't think so. Print using greyscale, or turn down the percentage quality of ink used in your printer settings. This will reduce the number of printer cartridges that end up in landfill, and save whoever buys your printer supplies an absolute fortune. Did you know that printer ink is the most expensive liquid in the world? Scary stuff...

3. Public transport
Now, I know I said earlier you didn't have to take public transport everywhere…key word: everywhere. I'm just as attached to taking the easy option of driving as the next girl, but you have to admit: taking public transport saves you a heck of a lot of money, both in petrol, and parking fees. And if your parking is anything like the parking at my uni, it will also save you getting to uni before 8 am every morning to secure a coveted student parking permit spot. Taking public transport when you can saves you money that you can spend on better things (like a new pair of boots) and, instead of being stressed in early morning traffic, you can lie back, listen to music…and do those tutorial readings. Sounds like a win to me.

What are your easy tips for saving the planet?

Picture source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234539093064329848/