Student culture changes fast. One week, everyone’s in jorts and shotgunning Cody’s in their mates flat. Next, they’re wearing quarter zips, training for a half marathon, and spending $14 on a strawberry matcha because it's “better for cortisol.”
Somewhere between economic collapse, gym culture, LinkedIn posting, and collective social and academic fatigue, student life shifts. The nights are quieter, the outfits darker, and everyone suddenly owns a water bottle bigger than their biceps.
So, for those struggling to keep up – here’s what's hot and what's absolutely not on Otago’s campus.
Hot: Looking Like You Tramp
Fashion has officially entered its practical but chic era.
Gone are the patterns and cute festi fits. The new uniform of Otago students is dark tones, oversized t-shirts with a long sleeve underneath, fleece pull overs, and headphones (not ear buds!) permanently attached to your head. Everyone looks like they’re either:
- On the way to ‘cafe-study’ with a group of mates
- Be the lead in an early 2000s skater flick, or
- Tramp the Routeburn Track
Patagonia-esque fleeces are huge. Funnel necks are back. Glassons sweaters continue their hostile takeover of every lecture theatre across the motu. Even denim trends are changing – the slow migration from jorts to jeans is underway, though that has probably got more to do with the weather than anything else.
Perhaps the most shocking development of all: shaving your legs for the ‘aerodynamics’. Largely, this is thanks to the impending Dunedin marathon, which has turned run clubs and workout classes into the hottest social scene in town.
Hot: Tiny Comforts
Everyone’s broke, tired, and hanging on by a thread – so naturally the trend cycle has shifted towards the little joys of life.
Soup is in. Mashed potatoes with anything and everything? Revolutionary. Poke bowls are still hanging on for when there's a bit more money in the bank account, and Biscoff continues its streak as the flavour of economic decline.
Matcha, boba, and energy drinks are doing a full rotation. Recycling bins in the libraries seem to be spilling with Redbulls of all flavours, sugar free Monsters galore and sometimes the occasional Blue V. Never the green flavour.
At the same time, people seem to have started thinking that lentils are exciting (?). Fibre is the new protein: legumes are having a moment, and everyone seems to be locked into their gut microbiome and hormones (whatever that means).
Coffee culture has changed too. Buying coffee everyday is out. Making coffee at home or at uni is in. Whether you're surviving off sachets or blessed with a flatmate whose parents sent down an ancient espresso machine, nobody seems to be buying flat whites anymore. Cozzie livs have claimed the life of a pre-lecture brew.
Milk Run also deserves an honourable mention for being the great middle ground of actually doing a grocery shop and getting Uber Eats. So hot.
Hot: Being a nerd
Nonchalance is out. Being a fan of things is back in.
People are way more willing to openly enjoy dorky stuff again. Pokémon cards are back. Blind boxes and everywhere. Physical media is making a comeback, just like Kim coz I think she got cum on her back in that one video.
Gaming is huge again too – everyone seems to either be grinding Overwatch, Dead by Daylight, or prioritising the needs of their Animal Crossing villagers before their own.
TV trends have even shifted. Superhero shows are creeping back in with Invincible and The Boys, docu-series are everywhere, and suddenly everyone is excited about the Darth Maul show.
Libraries are also weirdly hot right now. Mostly because everyone wants somewhere warm to sit while they play on their laptops.
Hot: Hyper pop and other electronic music
Playing in our wireless headphones, we all seem to have the same genre of slightly stressful electronic music.
Whether Ninajirachi is your poison or you’re still emotionally attached to Avicii, everyone seems to be marching to the same hyperpop-techno beat. Other hot artists include 1tbsp and Slayyyter.
Country music, however, finally seems to be dying out. Not if you're my mum though.
Not: Big Nights Out
People still go out, but the era of absolutely feral nights seems to have disappeared as quickly as the warm weather.
Clubs are out, pubs are in. Everyone would rather sit in a dimly lit booth with six mates than scream over shitty DnB remixes in a room that smells like vodka Red Bulls and unchecked masculinity.
Even as a cornerstone of student culture, drinking habits are seeing changes too. People aren’t fully sober, but fewer students are “just drinking.” There’s usually another substance mixed in there somewhere. Weed is definitely up, and bags are still going strong. Ket is rising higher than a horsie in surgery, and gear is having a pretty bad comedown in popularity. Hangouts to just get high and do drugs are basically their own social category.
Student bars and the hope of us getting on is lowkey washed as fuck. RIP.
NOT: Trying Too Hard Online
We are so insanely aware of our own online presence that social media has looped back around into embarrassment.
Instagram captions are basically gone, because no one has the attention span to read them. Reposting your own birthday stories is public humiliation. Instagram Reels are no longer embarrassing to watch, slowly coming for TikTok’s crown.
And yet everyone is still online constantly.
BeReal has been missing in action since 2022. Snapchat is on life support. LinkedIn has become the new ‘in’ app, which is terrifying and likely has something to do with our neoliberal economy. And as we get older, our peers are now posting things like:
“Thrilled to announce…”
Read the room. Nobody is thrilled in this job market.
Not: Being A Snob About Other People’s Joys
I’m happy to announce that reading fanfic isn't something we need to do in the dark and on an incognito tab anymore. We can proudly list it on our GoodReads ‘read’ list. That goes for TV too - long live MAFS, Love Island, and maybe even Survivor.
Being a hater of these things is just dry. As the world around us is kinda crumbling, sometimes it's nice to turn your brain off for a little and consume the stuff your mum left as reading material in the family toilet. Not everything needs to prompt you to have a deeper reflection.
Not: Multiple Cables For Your Devices
I think we can probably thank the EU for this one. As they slowly force everyone towards USB-C, society may finally know peace.
Lightning cables are out. USB-C is in. Suddenly your phone, headphones, vape, Kindle, laptop, and vibrator can all charge with the same cord. Beautiful stuff. But USB-C shouldn’t enjoy their rein for too long, with wireless charging adored by its early adopters.
Honourable Mentions
Hot
- Facebook Marketplace – Grail finds always
- Making an effort to get the plans out of the groupchat
- Being aware of incoming weather cycles
- Freebies
- Being early – on time is late and don't you forget it
Not
- Empty flat fridges - get yo grocery game up
- Owning a car in North D
- Uni wifi – we have all been victimised by EduRoam
- Wordle – controversial, I know
- AI ‘art’ – a real bruh moment
