Wal-mart has been promoting Halloween decorations for about a month and a half. And you can’t go anywhere near a coffee shop these days without being bombarded by pumpkin-flavored this or that.

It must be mid-October.

For most people in this country, it means the leaves change to red, orange and yellow and shorts can be put away until March. It means snow plows and ski season won’t be far away.

For us in Texas, it means the leaves will stay green until they all just die and fall to the ground during the same weekend next month. It means next week’s high could be 85. Or 50.

This irregular winter weather leads to the unsure and questionable dress of the typical student, resulting in a drop in campus morale. Please, remember these tips when you wake up 10 minutes before class starts tomorrow morning.

Tights are not pants. Leggings are not stand-alone. Something else goes over them. Even Superman wore briefs over his spandex suit. (But don’t try that on campus.)

Really, nobody needs to see that.

Dress in layers. This time of year, it’s cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon. Crazy, we know.

So, to avoid either being cold in the morning or hot later on, put a sweater or jacket on over your shirt before you leave for class.

Guys, you don’t have to prove your manhood by freezing to death. You’re plenty manly in that jacket. And by jacket, we don’t mean your high school letter jacket. Why? Because you’re no longer in high school.

No more flip-flops. Toes deserve to bask in sun rays on the beach. Not turn purple in a freezing puddle.

It’s freezing and windy, put some boots on your feet. And if you don’t have any, surely a girl on campus can loan you  a pair or ten.

These are dorm specific, not season, but important nonetheless.

All freshmen must remember that a towel is not enough cover-up after your Thursday evening shower. Visitation days are great, but not for the girl who leaves the communal bathroom wearing just a towel. It is hard to tell who will be more surprised, her, or the five guys ambling down the hall.

Boxers and a t-shirt are less than the minimum dress required to be in an on-campus laundry room. Especially when men and women are using the same one.

And finally, one of the most popular Texas winter wardrobe pieces: sweatpants.

They are totally okay, as long as you can handle having hot legs in the afternoon sun.