For those who are familiar with South Georgia, it’s no secret that our weather has a mind of its own. Even in our winter months, no one is sure on whether to put on a scarf or put on your bathing suit. Having snow is kind of like Bigfoot…does it exist? And when we think the snow won’t show, well, and then 1993 happened. Aside from it being warm almost all of the time, here are a few struggles on dealing with the South Georgia weather on a college campus.

Getting Dressed For Class. Dressing for classes is a constant struggle. It’s normally 30 degrees in the morning (Don’t make fun northern people. We freak out when it gets below 45, okay). So what do you wear? A t-shirt and pants? Will I be hot? Will I be cold? You will probably be both, so prepare. You might be wearing a scarf and shorts. You might be drinking hot coffee in the morning just to stay warm and then sweating by 10 am. Pack your deodorant, pull up your hair, and keep both winter and summer clothes handy. Welcome to the beautiful South Georgia.

The dreaded walk into the classroom. For those in college, we can all relate to feeling super self-conscious walking into class. Ladies, you looked so cute this morning in your boots and scarf, right? Right. Now, you face walking into class feeling like you just ran a marathon with the USA track team. What’s my advice? Layers. Add them, or take them off. That way even if you feel like you’re walking to class in the snowstorm of 1993, you won’t be hindered if your classroom feels like the Sahara desert in July.

The Biggest Rookie Mistake: Forgetting A Water Bottle. This is probably one of the most crucial of struggles. Do not ever, ever forget some source of hydration when facing the hot, and sometimes cold days on campus. Put it in your book bag, purse, gym bag, or even glue it to your hand. Regardless, going onto campus without a source of water is like going camping without a tent. South Georgia weather will throw anything at you. Being thirsty is not the way to face it.

Closet organization.So for the ladies, this may be the biggest struggle when dealing with South Georgia weather. What clothes do we put away in the attic? What clothes do we keep? My advice is, well, leave it all out. Whether you’re rocking a scarf and shorts the next day to class or lying out by noon of a “cool” morning, you will be prepared regardless.

Spring Break Trips. I would fly even further south for spring break. Why? You never know what the weather will do. Of course most of the time our weather is warm, but trust me when I say that wearing a bikini and a blanket to the beach is not exactly what we have in mind when we think of “fun in the sun”. Why? Because we should be IN THE SUN. Pack your passports, or fill up your tanks, either way, do not bank on sunny and 75 in the South just yet.

Whether you’re struggling to dress in the morning, sweating walking into class with your coffee still in hand, reorganizing your closet on a weekly basis to adjust, packing waters in your bag like they’re pencils, or planning your spring break trip, always be prepared for the spontaneous South Georgia weather. Grab your scarves and sunscreen, out of state, people, and welcome to the beautiful, sometimes sunny, sometimes snowy, South Georgia.