It’s that time of year again where the Feb-frosh come out along with the sub-zero temperatures. It seems like we’ll never see warmth again, especially after Snapchat and Instagram stalking friends who are abroad in warm places. When was the last time you went outside and your hair didn’t freeze? Ironically, the worst time to be on campus weather-wise is also the best time to be on campus for the social aspects. With only three hours or so of class a day, there’s so much free time. Here’s the top ten ways to stay entertained and stay warm during this amazing time of year.
1. Have a Movie Marathon, because why not? It’s Jan Plan, you can stay up all night watching the extended, with commentary version of Lord of the Rings. Relive your childhood and watch all of the Harry Potter movies in succession. This is college: we can still pull all-nighters just for fun and not because we procrastinated on that term paper. This also goes well with building pillow forts, cookies, and ordering pizza.
2. This may seem obvious, but make a serious attempt to Stay Warm. Stock up on hand warmers. You can never ever have enough pairs of wool socks. Try to wear long underwear underneath your jeans or pants (your legs will thank you when they don’t automatically go numb when you walk outside). Check out fleece-lined leggings, flannels, and jackets because they are the comfiest pieces of clothing you can buy.
3. Do some Arts and Crafts. Okay, I know this sounds totally lame and like we’re in kindergarten again, but this is a great way to stay entertained without staring at a screen for hours. Some people take up knitting (make a cute scarf or headband to keep yourself warm) and others paint some really cool art to decorate their rooms. Why not completely redecorate your room with art you’ve made? Just look up the DIY tag on Pinterest or Tumblr–there’s plenty of ideas that will keep you busy all Jan Plan.
4. Sometimes you just need to get off-campus. Most people automatically assume that means heading up to Sugarloaf from Thursday through Sunday. Instead, take a weekend trip to Portland or Boston. Go visit an Alpaca farm in Unity, Maine, or visit Acadia National Park in northern Maine. Why not go explore the untapped beauty of the state we go to school in?
5. One of the best ways to stay happy and positive during the dead middle of winter is to stay active. Remember those new years resolutions you made to eat healthy and get fit? It’s not too late to keep them up. If you hate running in the cold, head to the AC. Take a power yoga class. If you want something more upbeat, try a Dawn class. You’ll be pushed, but you’ll feel so much better. If cardio isn’t your thing, climb a couple routes on the rock wall in the field house. Grab your skates and head to Johnson Pond. There are plenty of activities to try this winter. Even if you don’t want to leave your room you can always do some 8 Minute Abs or Yoga from YouTube videos.
6. Bored of pizza and overcooked pasta? Try experimenting with Dana. Dana has been really bad this Jan Plan, so why not have a competition with your friends to try and make the best food out of the ingredients offered? Don’t feel like another Dana burger? Try putting the chicken from the stir-fry on a bun and add some veggies from the salad bar. Now you have a chicken sandwich. Want to take it to the next level? Try experimenting with desserts. Two cookies, a scoop of ice cream, and marshmallow fluff could make the best dessert sandwich you’ve ever tasted.
7. It’s snowing again? Go play in the snow! Try some tackle football in the snow with your friends – just make sure you have hot cocoa and warm clothes waiting for you in your dorm. Try and build the biggest sledding jump on chapel hill – best done while it’s snowing so the snow is still fresh and not icy yet. Impromptu snowball fight? Just make sure you’re throwing snow not ice.
8. Head up to Sugarloaf. This is probably already on your radar, but what’s Jan Plan without skiing? This weekend is Colby Ski Weekend, which means ticket prices are discounted for Colby students and alumni. Borrow some of your friends’ gear if you don’t have any and head up to hit the slopes.
9. Treat Yourself. You can really interpret this any way you want. Jan Plan may be a huge block of free time to hang out with friends and go sledding, but it can be a time to improve yourself as well. You have all this extra time, why not pick up a new hobby or try to learn something you’ve always wanted to learn? Why not read that book that’s been sitting on your shelf, or paint your nails a new color everyday? Join a new club, find a new show on Netflix, or maybe just focus on cultivate a new friendship with someone.
10. Last but not least, get ready for your future. Research for internships, update your resume, and start poking around for summer or future jobs. It’s never to early to start looking and networking, so why not start now when you have some extra time in your schedule before real school starts again? Doing a little bit of research every day will help future you out when summer and graduation rolls around.