The 2024 spring semester has just started, and after winter break, I am sure many of us are ready to be back. When moving back into my residence hall, I realized that I had a lot of items that were new, either from the holidays or just from home. I started thinking about what we are going to see here on campus this spring. What clothes are popular? Accessories? Water bottles? I am here to try and predict the answers to these questions. 

1.Water Bottles

Ah, the water bottle wars. This has been quite a topic of discussion over the past few years. With the Hydro Flask craze giving way to the Stanley fans, our society has become obsessed with which reusable water bottle to use. People have been collecting Stanley tumblers for some time now, but I noticed the craze when Target’s “Galentine’s Day” collection of the tumblers was released. Fans of the bottles were fighting their way into Target, reselling the cups online for hundreds of dollars, insanely marked up from the original $45. Personally, I love my Owala water bottles. These bottles have been gaining popularity as well (I just got mine for Christmas) and I’ve started to spot them around campus. They have fun colors ­– like Stanleys – but are more functional (in my opinion) and are a bit more affordable. Also, when it comes to reusable water bottles, brand names don’t matter. In the end, it comes down to quality. Some of the best water bottles are generic brand from Walmart or Target. If you’re in the market for a new water bottle, I would recommend those.

2. Clothes

TikTok and microtrends have been taking over the clothing taste of our generation for the past few years, but I sense this coming to an end. As people develop their own personal style, as many do in college, they are less likely to purchase a clothing item just because they saw it online. I think that we will start to see a lot of people dressed more simply on campus. Simple outfits, like a plain top and jeans, are easy to throw on in the morning and look effortlessly good. Throw on some jewelry and accessories and you are good to go. Alternatively, I have noticed a lot of people that are wearing things that are fun, colorful, and funky. I love the pops of color in these outfits and am increasingly jealous of their tastes. I predict we will see even more people wearing funky outfits, especially as the weather warms up. Wear what you want. You’ll rock it anyway.

3. Conversation

Okay, this may seem like an odd category, but hear me out. As the spring semester begins, many of us are reconnecting with familiar faces. Now is the time to turn these acquaintances into friends (if you so desire). Start getting to know who they are as a person instead of a surface-level classmate. If you are meeting new people, you can also apply deeper conversation questions. Sometimes the spontaneous friendships you form are the best ones. I predict that we are going to see a lot of people meeting their people this semester. 

These are my predictions for the spring semester. I may be wrong, but based on what I have seen, I think I am on the right track.

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