It’s January, and for college students in New England, that means cold winds, chapped lips and an indescribable amount of that stuff that falls from the sky — oh yeah, snow! At first, these winters may seem like the worst thing in the world, especially if you come from a place with a warmer climate. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make this cold weather the slightest bit more pleasing. Before you pack up your bags and transfer to a school in Florida, try some of these ideas:
1. Cute clothes
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It is not fun walking around campus looking like a giant marshmallow. However, investing in cute winter clothing pieces can excite you about going out in the cold. A hat with an adorable pom-pom on top, a bright colored scarf, or cute, knitted mittens will not only keep you warm, but may also even help you feel less dreadful about leaving your room. You may still look like a giant marshmallow, but at least you will be a cute one!
2. Stock up on food beforehand
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No feeling is worse than feeling hungry in the middle of a snowstorm and you have to walk to the convenience store or dining hall to get food. Before a storm approaches, stock up on foods and beverages — microwaveable meals are life-saving. You will be thankful when you are hungry and do not have to go outside.
3. Cook!
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Alongside buying foods to keep in your room before the cold weather hits, how about experimenting with making your own meals and snacks? It gives you something fun to do on a day that you’re stuck inside and prevents you from going outside in the cold. Plus, warm chocolate chip cookies will taste even better than they already do if you eat them on a cold snowy day.
4. Exercise!
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It may sound like the craziest thing to do, but if you can stomach the short walk to the gym in the cold weather, exercising is a fantastic way to spend your days off. You’ll feel much more accomplished about spending the whole day indoors. In addition, it will bring up your body temperature and improve your immune system — both of which are important to have during a cold winter. If you're brave enough, you can even try exercising outdoors (as long as it's not snowing). You actually burn more calories when you exercise in the cold, and you'll build up a tolerance to the cold. Just make sure to warm up and cool down after all workouts, since you are much more prone to pulled muscles and other injuries when it is cold outside.
5. Try to prioritize plans depending on weather
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If you know you have a lot to do in the upcoming week, try to look at the weather ahead of time and decide what days would be the best to do those tasks. For instance, if you desperately need to go shopping, plan to do that during a day when it’s a bit warmer or that you can get a ride so you won’t be stuck walking to the store in 10 degrees Farenheit weather.
6. Make plans with your friends
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Nothing cheers up a day indoors like spending it with your friends. There isn’t any better time to get together with a big group of people than during a day off of school when you’re all snowed in. Plan a movie marathon, a study party, or a mega game of Cards Against Humanity. Don’t forget the fuzzy blankets and hot chocolate!
7. Play in the snow!
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While winter is here, we may as well take advantage of it. Instead of trying to avoid all the snow, go play in it! Build a snowman, go sledding, or organize a huge snowball fight. You’ll be way more excited about winter if you know you won’t be spending all your time indoors, and you’ll be having so much fun that you may not even notice the cold. Don't forget to bundle up first!
8. Don’t hide
As much as we may not want to admit it, winter is here, and it won’t be going away any time soon. The next few months will be miserable if all we do is hide away in our rooms and hope that it will magically turn into spring. Instead, take advantage of all the great things that winter has to offer. Try to plan lots of fun activities, indoors or outdoors, that you can do with your friends. Having something to look forward to will always bring sunshine to even the coldest and dreariest of days.
