1. Two words: Welcome weekend. Because let’s be honest, from the moment we head home for the summer, we are all counting down the days until welcome weekend begins. Welcome weekend at CMU is basically a national holiday for students. It is one of the only weekends of the year that requires a SWAT team to clear the streets at the end of the night. Welcome weekend means reuniting with your CMU fam which is probably the best thing ever.

2. Waking up at 7 a.m. is a whole lot easier when you’re getting up for a tailgate. There is nothing better than spending the day hanging out in the lots sporting your favorite maroon and gold apparel in a sea full of Chippewas. Somehow you will end up in a truck bed filled with 20 other people dancing to a Taylor Swift song then may or may not end up at the actual football game. Either way, FIRE UP CHIPS!

3. Fall is the perfect time for festive beverages. Hot chocolate with whipped cream vodka is great for an early morning tailgate pre-game to warm you up. Ease into the day with a cold Redd’s Apple Ale to keep up with the party and of course you can’t go wrong with chasing basically anything with good ole’ apple cider.

4. For those who like to go with a non-alcoholic beverage, you can always run on over to the UC for a Pumpkin Spice Latte for a pick-me-up. Who doesn’t love fall in a cup???

5. Saturday and Sunday mornings were made for a big breakfast. Luckily, Stan’s downtown or the hidden gem, The Diner is always open for your morning indulgences.

6. You have never been more excited to pack like sardines in the Wayside Tuesday nights for the beloved pint night. Buying one of their insane XL drinks will have you waking up Wednesday morning in the same outfit featured in a few Snapchat stories where you were caught dancing in the cages. You swear you’ll “never go to pints EVER again.” Don’t kid yourself; you’ll be back next week.

7. There are few things more beautiful than CMU’s campus once the leaves change. Walking to class on a crisp fall day has never been more enjoyable with the beautiful trees everywhere. Get out your phones ladies, pics or it didn’t happen.

8. You can spot a freshman from a mile away with their lanyards around their necks. We can make fun all we want, but we are all secretly jealous they have four more years at this wonderful place.

9. Whether you’re leaving the bar or a party at 2 a.m., 8/10 girls will order pizza delivery before even arriving back home. “Hi, Papa Johns? Can I have two large pizzas? Extra ranch and butter garlic sauce PLEASE.”

10. There is nothing like getting your fitness on at the Student Activity Center every day for the first week back until realizing you have more important priorities. (Naps and Netflix.)

11. Fraternity Rush and Sorority Recruitment are two major fall events at CMU. We may all have our preconceived judgments of Greek life, but don’t knock it till you try it. Not only can Greek life open the doors to lifelong friendships and connections, the CMU Greek community never fails to raise crazy amounts of money for their philanthropies.

12. If you’re a so-called “basic” girl, you are a sucker for fall campus fashion. Leggings, booties, Longchamp bags, XL t-shirts, oversized sweaters, round sunnies, and we all can’t wait for a rainy day so we can bust out our rain boots.

13. And let me just say…vests, vests everywhere. Whether it’s a girl or guy, they’re probably wearing a vest. There is also an 80% chance they have a flannel underneath.

14. You will never laugh harder than the morning talks with your roomies conversing over last night’s adventures and trying to piece together the series of events. (Try not to cringe at your texts from 1 a.m.)

15. Believe it or not mom and dad, the library is the place to be weekday nights. After all, the reason we are here is for an education, right? If we want to go out Thursday, Friday, Saturday night, we have to get our work done somehow.

16. Halloween- one of the most fun holidays in college where we all have to creatively come up with not just one, but usually three or more costumes for the weekend.

17. Last but not certainly not least, one of our favorite social media apps, Snapchat, now features a CMU GEO-FILTER!!! Snapchat lovers rejoice.

So is it time to go back yet?