dark academia things you can do that don’t require a $400 tweed blazer and a private school
because not everyone lives near a national museum
get a penpal to write letters to and enclose personalised gifts
take advantage of local libraries
thrift old porcelain teacups, wine glasses, engraved silverware
make paper - technically not dark academia but writing cute love letters onto handmade paper and doodling hearts on it is god tier
start a book club with friends and pick a book/short story to read and discuss together
take your time going through the book section at thrift stores to find old, worn copies of classics
find a park and journal at sunset until the light fades
use postcards of your favorite paintings as bookmarks
speaking of bookmarks, use scrap paper to write out lyrics, poems, quotes from authors, words in other languages, and turn them into bookmarks or scrapbook pages
if you drink coffee, make your own cold brew or flavored coffee and drink it from the fanciest glass you own
if you’re a tea drinker, you could thrift a cheap but cute vintage looking teacup and saucer along with a little spoon to keep you company while you study
replace some phone time with a book, e.g. on public transport, waiting rooms, before bed
go to a cafe with a book and spend some alone time reading and annotating
go for a walk and pick flowers and leaves to take home and press between a book
take said pressed flowers and glue them onto a handmade birthday card or wall decoration, complete with a quote
if you have long hair, tie a ribbon around your wrist along with your hair tie and let the ends dangle down
if you’re at a campus or park that has a grassy area, take your notes and study there on a warm day
have a dark academia inspired picnic