Winter Is Coming

Being a local Rochesterian, people often expect me to be "used to the winters." Yes and no. Experiencing winter as a college student is a completely new different experience. Never before did I have to rely on walking as my main transportation to get places – meaning I really had to pay attention to the weather.

Here are my 5 top tips on how to survive winter:

1. Layers. I love layers. I am generally a pretty cold person, so I always have a hoodie with me. In the winter, layers are great. I recommend a long-sleeve shirt, hoodie, warm jacket, hats, gloves, and a scarf. In the middle of winter, it can get in the single digits with wind chill. For days like those, I recommend leggings under jeans or sweatpants if you're cold. Some people love the cold – there will always be that one person wearing shorts through the snow. So, it all comes down to preference, wear what will make you comfortable.
2. Try avoiding going outside unnecessarily. Many of RIT's buildings are connected, take advantage of that! There are tunnels under the residence hall buildings, and there are many tunnels under the academic buildings as well. I will also "building hop," where I cut through buildings as much as possible.
3. Get a good pair of boots. The facilities management crew does a great job plowing the paths early in the morning and putting salt down, but walking through a little snow is inevitable. Look into boots that have a nice warm lining and are water resistant.
4. Bring extra stuff with you to class. You don't want to walk back and forth in between class when the weather isn't too great. Bring whatever you would need for your next class and stay on academic side. . You might also want to bring a snack so you don't have to go out to get something or back to your residence.
5. If you are driving, make sure you know how your car handles in the snow. The first time I got behind the wheel to practice driving was in the middle of January in a parking lot that had at least 2 inches of snow on it. Not everyone has had this experience.

Hopefully, all that talk of surviving winter didn't scare you.

Winter can be a lot of fun! Here are my top 5 tips on how to enjoy the winter:

1. Hot chocolate. My favorite winter drink. I also recommend hot chocolate with a shot of expresso, if you need a little something extra.
2. Warms hoodies and sweatpants and blankets. Nothing is cozier than staying in and watching movies with all your blankets layers – and then looking outside your window at the snow and thinking how nice and warm you are. (sounds nice, right?)
3. Make a snowman! I am still surprised at the number of people I know who have not made a snowman before. Granted, you have to have good timing and perfect conditions for the ideal snowman.... But I firmly believe everyone needs to make a snowman in their lifetime.
4. Go sledding, skiing, snowboarding, or even ice-skating. Each winter, I make it a goal to try to do as many outdoor activities – like skiing – while the snow is still here. RIT does offer free skate throughout the year in their indoor rink.... But there is something about ice-skating outside with pretty lights and snow that is hard to beat. Plus, there's also FreezeFest events! 
5. Talk to the person from Hawaii on your floor. There is always at least one person that has not truly experienced snow before. Talk to them! I met two people from Hawaii my freshman year. Seeing their reaction to snow and how exciting it was for them was really memorable for me and made me appreciate the snow just a little bit more.