By Isobel Carnochan & Suhana Limbu, Senior and Associate Culture Editors
With our first break of the year creeping closer and closer, deadlines looming and readings already stacking up, it’s easy to forget just how recently we were all on summer break. It was not too long ago now that most of us began moving back to Egham (apologies to our dear commuting readers), and even more recently that the academic year started up once more. With this in mind, let Suhana and I take you through our pop culture favourites for back to school season…
– Isobel
Film and TV
Suhana’s film of choice: Matilda (1996)
A struggle that I find myself having during the back-to-school period is maintaining an undoubtable passion for my degree. Let’s face it – no one is truly living up to their perfectly curated, ‘dark academia’ Pinterest boards (myself included). So, one film that I continuously go back to in order to reignite my spark is Matilda. Set in 90s California, the film follows a studious Matilda who is raised by her mother, a self-absorbed bingo player, and her father, a dishonest car salesman. The film is an explosion of autumn colours, framed by the familiarity of a suburban town, and perfectly encapsulates childhood innocence. The montage of a younger Matilda, engulfed by books at her local library and reading with a mesmerized hunger, sticks in my mind. It reminds me of my own childhood, when reading books meant exploring a new world, and not just completing a deadline. The film is an important nudge for all Royal Holloway students to remember their childish enthusiasm within an exam-packed year.
Isobel’s TV series of choice: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
I can’t think of any TV series more suited for the back-to-school season than Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show starts with its titular character, Buffy Summers, transferring to Sunnydale Highschool. Imbued with supernatural strength by occult forces, she alone is burdened to spend her life battling vampires, demons, and all things scary. Day after day is spent in the school library with her friends, researching monsters that range from evil cheerleader witches to paedophilic bug ladies – and that’s just in season one! Whilst we Royal Holloway students may not be conducting research quite as niche, the constant academic atmosphere makes for the perfect back to school show. Even without the plot literally being set in a school, the never ending array of monstrous beings Buffy comes face to face with is very autumnal in itself, making it the perfect cosy autumn show too.
Music
Suhana’s song of choice: Hesitate
I discovered the song Hesitate by Golden Vessel and Emersion Lie in 2019, and it’s become an autumn staple since. The song blends a consoling hum with static buzzes, creating a beautifully tragic ambience. The lyrics convey the bashful excitement of a newfound love, along with the hesitation to confront these emotions. It also embodies the early signs of the inevitable bittersweet summer-autumn transition–the unapologetically shorter days and longer nights. Hesitate’s layered vocals, synths, and drums gradually pile onto each other, reaching a symphonic peak in the last chorus. Until, it abruptly cuts into mere static buzzes and whispers of unfinished lyrics, reminiscent of the song’s beginning. This hopeful climax into a sombre ending reminds me of my long walks at home and looking into the sunset announcing the end of another summer’s day, promising autumn.
Isobel’s song of choice: Shades of Cool
It’s admittedly quite basic, but Shades of Cool by Lana Del Rey. I honestly think Lana has been my top artist on every Spotify Wrapped since I first joined the site eight years ago, and she’s the only artist I’ve ever seen live more than once (contrary to popular opinion, I think her 2025 Cardiff show was incredible, thank you very much–even if she didn’t know which country she was in). But whilst the majority of her songs are classic summer staples, so much of her brand revolves around summertime, after all, Shades of Cool effortlessly encapsulates the feeling of late autumn nights, long library stretches, and the sensation of crisp, cool air on skin. On those not so rare occasions where I’ve got an all nighter to pull, I can guarantee I’ll be listening to Shades of Cool to get me through. Even if you’ve got far better time management skills than I apparently do, I can guarantee this song deserves a place in your term one playlist – if it’s not already there.
Poetry and Prose
Suhana’s book of choice: My Brilliant Friend (2011)
One of my all-time favorite books is Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, and I find that it’s a perfect read for back-to-school motivation. Set in 1950s Naples, Italy, the story details the friendship between Elena and Lila, who are both living in a working class neighborhood. Among the themes of female friendship, womanhood, and social mobility, Ferrante threads an academic rivalry between the two girls throughout the novel. When reading the book, I couldn’t help but feel like I was truly experiencing Elena’s resilience as she studied hours upon hours, and I shared the excitement of young Elena and Lila’s first written book. This novel places readers into the characters’ personal lives, and readers can expect to grow an attachment to Elena and Lila, who they meet as girls and eventually watch turn into women. It’s an immersive experience that inspires you to pick up your procrastinated essay with the same relentlessness as Elena and Lila.
Isobel’s book of choice: Frankenstein (1818)
I know it’s the cliché of all clichés, but I can’t help but recommend Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Like most university students, I don’t tend to have the time to pick up something for pleasure – keeping on top of my assigned reading is hard enough. Fortunately, Frankenstein is fairly short, and it’s filled with some of the most gorgeous prose I think I have ever read. Featuring a university student gone mad, it’s both a spooky staple and an important lesson in the consequences of never leaving the library to get some sleep. On those nights where uni begins to feel like too much, leave the caffeine-induced hallucinatory monsters in Founder’s library for another time, and give Frankenstein a read instead.
Photo by Suhana Limbu