Aisha Patel

There's just something about the fall semester that gives you main-character energy! The campus is buzzing with life, friendships are blooming, and the nights are lit up with music and laughter. Even though the fall semester at Flame doesn't come with crunchy leaves, oversized scarves, and pumpkin spice lattes, it has its own kind of magic. The hot afternoons slowly give way to chilly evenings, and it really is the perfect season to slow down, embrace cozy routines, and make your college life feel a little more cinematic.

The one thing I learnt after coming to university is that no two people's college journeys will look the same. Some people walk in on day one of freshman year knowing exactly whether they want to major in Psychology or Economics, while others (maybe you?) are still figuring out what they genuinely enjoy studying. And guess what? That's completely okay!

Having PCOS sometimes feels like being in a never-ending reality show where your body keeps throwing plot twists. I first got diagnosed with PCOS at the age of fourteen. It wasn’t even a dramatic moment like I would have expected. My doctor asked me to run some tests and come back to her, and when I did, all she said was “You have PCOS”, like she’s announcing the weather. For a moment there, I felt like I had been hit by a deer, just like Rory’s car, and I was equally confused and furious.

We live in a world where being “busy” has somehow become everyone's favorite personality trait. If you're not juggling five assignments, three club meetings, and two existential crises, are you even trying? Productivity has turned into this never-ending competition and somewhere along the way, we forgot that rest is also part of the equation. Between lectures, deadlines, and trying to have a social life, rest feels like a luxury no one can afford. But here's the plot twist: maybe the real sign of having your life together isn't how much you do, but how well you rest.

I've been eating alone on campus for months now. At least one meal a day is just me, my tray, and whichever mood I'm in. Sometimes that's productive, sometimes existential, or sometimes I'm scrolling through YouTube like it's my full-time job. And no, before you imagine some tragic Gilmore Girls scene, I'm not like Rory whose principal might send my mom a letter because I sat alone for one lunch. I do have friends. I just don't have their timetable.

Even at FLAME, the big tote bag isn't just a bag. It's a lifestyle, an identity, and honestly, a survival kit. With classes scattered across campus like a treasure hunt and schedules that look like someone clicked “shuffle,” the tote bag has become the campus version of a multi-utility tool.

I'll be honest, I have always thought matcha tastes like garden clippings blended with regret. And the only reason I tried it today (for the very first time) was because I didn't want to have a biased opinion (or one based on zero evidence). And let me tell you… it still tastes like grass. But I get it now. I get the hype. I get why the Instagram girlies sip on it like it's holy water blessed by the wellness gods.

The billionaire wedding in Udaipur genuinely felt like a soft launch for a new Indian festival. One that should've been listed right between Diwali and Holi. But honestly, this whole “wedding-as-a-festival” vibe started way earlier this year, thanks to the wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Let's be real, that wasn't a wedding. It was Coachella with pheras. It had pre-weddings, pre-pre-weddings, international performances, a guest list that doubled as an IMDb page, and a scale so massive that even our festivals felt underdressed.