With the coldest winter most of us have had here so far at Happy Valley, it’s almost unbearable to go out at night. However, we are all guilty of still going out despite the snow falling and our low fevers burning. After 2 years of trial and error, I have came up with some tips to surviving the harsh conditions of fratland.

Tip #1.) Wear pants: I know this tip sounds crazy because everyone thinks they need to wear a dress or skirt in order to look good but wearing pants is the best and only effective way to keep warm. A new trend that has become more prominent in the past couple of weeks is wearing pattern or floral pants. Even though some versions of these pants only provide a bit more warmth than being bare legged, it is still better to have atleast something over your legs. Jeans will also always look good no matter what.

Tip #2.) Wear closed-toe shoes: It seems dumb that I have to say this, but every night that I go out I see atleast 10 girls wearing open-toed shoes with their toes bright purple and about to fall off. HELLO! When there is snow on the ground, put on some proper shoes or consider wearing flats so you are able to walk without slipping on ice. Same thing goes for boys, you might want to put away your boat shoes so the tops of your feet don’t get frost bite.

Tip #3.) Hold your fracket: This is HUGE. Do not let go of your fracket ever. I know its annoying to hold all night but if you put it down it will get stolen and you will have to walk home without one or ruin someone else’s night by stealing theirs. A good way to keep your fracket with you is to lay it over your satchel. It stays on your purse all night and you don't even have to check if it’s there.  If you think it is going to be extra chilly that night, consider bringing two frackets out and put down your least favorite one.

Tip 4.) Strongly consider wearing long-sleeves: There is really no reason to not do this. Boys, your arms will still look big in a long sleeve shirt I promise. Girls, if you are going to wear a dress, there are tons of cute long sleeved ones to choose from. There are even long sleeved crop tops to pair with a skirt or jeans.

Tip 5.) Call the taxi companies early: Even if you are starting to feel the slightest bit tired or just simply over the night, you should call a cab immediately. Lately, cabs have been taking atleast 30 to 45 minutes to come. Make sure  you call as soon as  you feel ready or else you will be stuck for a very long time. Even though it costs a couple extra bucks to get a cab home, it is well worth it so you don't catch hypothemria.

These are just a few of the ways you can stay warm in fratland over the next couple of months. Dressing half naked to impress someone is not worth catching a cold or slipping on ice and hurting yourself. Be smart!