With a hurricane on the way to NC, a tropical storm threatening Hawaii and Florida, and the ever present threat of thunderstorms and snow and extreme weather, college is an interesting place to be. There are several things that just really suck about being in college on your own: being sick, doing your own laundry, cooking for yourself...and preparing for the weather.
It doesn't seem like it's that important - I mean, you're pretty taken care of within a dorm or at school right? But in reality, there are a few things you need to take care of in order to ride out the weather.
1. Find a good umbrella or rain jacket
If you wait until the last minute, one of three things is going to happen. One, you're going to show up at the store to get an umbrella and all the good ones will be gone. Two, you're going to have to buy a really expensive umbrella from the school bookstore. Three, you're going to get stuck in the rain and be really uncomfortable in wet clothes.
2. Look into some rain boots
This sounds kinda silly, but rain boots really are worth the hype if you're willing to get them. One of my pet peeves is walking around and getting water in my shoes because I stepped in a puddle. Now my sock is wet which just means I'll be miserable all day. If you're wearing rain boots, your feet stay dry because they're rubber, not fabric. Good idea, huh? (Pro tip: Rain boots double as snow boots in a pinch if you don't want to get your shoes soaked in the snow.)
3. Grab some hot chocolate and popcorn
Understandably, most people go shopping at the grocery store right before a huge weather phenomenon (especially in NC when they mention snow...) but while that's further down on the list, hot chocolate and popcorn are necessities for weather days. Why? Because curling up under a blanket with some hot chocolate, tea, or coffee and nomming on popcorn is one of the best ways to spend a rainy day or a snow day.
4. Make sure your windows are rolled up
Along with this, just make sure anything that's outside is meant to be there and is prepared. Windows rolled up is a definite, but if you're worried about it and you want to, you could always cover the car or move it somewhere safer. Whenever we knew it was likely to snow, we would cover our van with a tarp to keep the doors from freezing shut. It wasn't always pretty looking, but it was really effective.
5. Prepare your room for extreme temperatures
Heat isn't one you need to worry about, but cold might be. I tend to bring blankets with me anyway because I'm always cold but if your power goes out and it's mid-fall, you might need a blanket to keep the early morning chill out of the room. Plus, like I mentioned earlier, curling up and watching Netflix is much more fun with a blanket.
6. Make sure you grocery shop a few days in advance
You never know if you're going to get stuck in your apartment and all the stores on campus closed. There were a few occasions when it snowed at UNCG where we had to go to the dining hall between a few hours or we didn't eat on campus that day. If you can, make sure you have necessary items for sandwiches, soups, and other comfort foods.
7. Have ample entertainment
This could be as simple as books or as complicated as board games! Movies, Netflix, cards, and laptops all serve as great entertainment for how to spend a day off when classes are canceled.
8. Have batteries and a flashlight for if the power goes out
I've not had this happen yet, but I'd like to hope I'm prepared for if it does. Make sure that if the power went out, you wouldn't drain your cell phone battery by using its flashlight. Candles (if you're not in an on campus dorm or apartment) are also a great way to accomplish this.
9. Enjoy looking out the window
Possibly my favorite part of rainy days and snow days is watching the weather. I love when it's raining and I enjoy watching the snow fall from my window. It's typically very beautiful. You can spare a moment or two of watching Netflix to see nature. I promise.
