Stepping into The World of Academia (+ A Guide)

Anagha
Jan 13, 2022
4 min read

Ever since the outset of last year, after being introduced to the "Academia Life" by a few enthusiastic friends, I have been delving deeper and deeper into the exploration of various aesthetics including Cottagecore, Light Academia and others, but the most dominant one of these has been Dark Academia -- one of the most famous of the academic aesthetics. And social media platforms such as Instagram and Tumblr payed their own sweet part in escalating the already bubbling zest for it.

Before I dive further into the topic, allow me to give you a little background information on what the aesthetic actually entails. Dark Academia is one of the most popular and the original academic aesthetic that mainly encompasses classic literature, the pursuit of self-discovery, romanticising life and a quest for learning. The main motif here, is the never-ending thirst for knowledge which also entails learning for the sake of learning as opposed to what is popularised by modern-day schools and universities. Romanticising refers the glorification or cultivation of an increased appreciation for the mundane, which is also one aspect that is idealised. The aesthetic is mainly focused on the Humanities subjects, especially English Literature, Philosophy and History as opposed to STEM, which tends to find its due place in other emerging aesthetics such as Science Academia, Art Academia, etc. Adding an element of imagery to this description, Dark Academia is about oversized sweaters, caffeine bursts, ambition, an endless stream of curious questions, the desire to excel, writing elaborate letters, reading (a lot!), dressing up, learning copious amounts, strolling in gigantic libraries in an attempt to soak all they have to offer like a sponge, vintage bookstores, ink-stained hands, antique quills and so much more!

Specifically, the community of Dark Academics enjoys and tends to cultivate a deep emotional connection with their field of interest, as well as a strong emphasis on reading and writing poetry, prose and classic texts, The whole idea of a "Dark Academia" culture emerged somewhere around 2015 on Tumblr, as more of a fandom niche, but in the recent years, it has evolved into more of a full-fledged lifestyle as it garnered more attention on social media. Perhaps a major reason for why it has attracted colossal amounts of attention is because in my opinion, we almost always desire the prospect of belongingness, of having the luxury to look forward to something and cultivating a sense of acceptance or integration. The main source of inspiration for its genesis seems to be Donna Tart's 1992 novel, The Secret History. The book mainly revolves around a cohort of college students, who along with their professor, form a little society to engage in intellectual pursuits. Ever since it gained popularity among enthusiasts, especially the young people, there has been no going back.

Personally, the journey started when one of my dear friends introduced me to the lovely, amazing, vibrant and truly inspiring YouTuber Ruby Granger. Even though I knew about the existence of academic aesthetics owing to Instagram, it was only when I met Ruby that I my passion for it stirred up and my interest was instantly piqued. I was in awe of her lifestyle, her love for books, her deep dedication to academia and her golden soul, always brimming with enthusiasm, trying to find beauty in the mundane. Over time, Ruby has turned into someone whom I truly look up to. After being introduced to one of her library tour videos, which got me hooked instantly, I immediately took to the internet to know all that is to know about academic aesthetics, and it would not be an understatement if I reiterate that the same passion still remains to this day. While I've been pretty interested in the subject for over a year now, every now I then, I find myself intrigued by something totally novel and unexpected, my mind at work again and ready to find everything that is to know about it, often facilitated by endless Tumblr and Instagram spirals :p

“You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough" 🤎

Although the idea of Dark Academia looks and sounds really appealing, as it did to me initially, I soon realised that a perfect aesthetic does not exist. Even though I love to call myself a "Dark Academic", I do not identify with a handful of its aspects. I see myself as more of an amalgamation of Dark and Light Academia since I embody both of their traits, and this had allowed me to carve my own personal sweet spot. Although I find it immensely fascinating and inspirational, on a more personal front, reading classics obsessively, pulling all nighters, or doing everything for its aesthetic appeal is not something I would like to identify myself with. To each their own, I suppose.

Having this sense of belongingness has brought about a variety of changes in me as a person, to the point that I see myself as a completely renewed personality today. The impact on my life has been tremendous, it has changed me as a person, transformed my outlook on life and has assumed a positive connotation for the most part. It has had it effect on my thought patterns, my organisational skills, my perception of myself and overall on how I feel and regard my entire life in general, which has given me a truly beautiful sense of self.

Agreed that given all its complicated myriad of elements, Dark Academia often looks like an unattainable, almost like this idealistic version of academia lifestyle. However, as with every other aesthetic, it also has its fair share of disadvantages. The major one of them being glorification of overworking, academic stress and promotion of unhealthy behaviour. Personally, I love the whole aesthetic and all its aspects and truly do believe that it is capable of evolving into something both inspirational and extremely beautiful at the same time, but I also feel that it is important to understand and acknowledge its flaws. I do not support the unhealthy pursuit of excellence or wearing yourself out to the point of burnout, nevertheless, given its shortcomings, I do certainly find this intimate sense of belonging to a relatively lesser known community extremely inspiring and empowering.

- A.

Resources

Here's a little something for you to explore (inc. Dark Academia books, movies, music and socials recommendations that I've created / collated myself)

Everything Dark Academia on Tumblr: https://dark-academia-tips.tumblr.com

Here's Ruby's channel in case you're curious!

Ruby Granger ] YouTube

Resources

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