Picture this, it’s a beautiful morning when you walk into class, but it’s forecasted to pour later on. The rain starts, and everything is damp and cold and miserable. Now, your books are soaked, and it looks like you just finished swimming in the fountain. These woes are easily avoidable with these 10 must haves for a rainy day around campus.
1. Keep dry with a travel-sized umbrella
An umbrella might seem like an obvious necessity, but it can be a lifesaver when it starts to pour on your way to class. Not only does it keep you dry, but it will also protect most objects in your immediate vicinity such as bags or electronics. Travel-sized umbrellas fit perfectly in the side pocket of your backpack, and you can buy one with a fun pattern. Check out this umbrella from Amazon — it comes with its own case. With one hand holding it steady, you can use the other hand to call yourself an Uber, so you can get out of the rain ASAP!
2. Protect your beautiful, multi-colored notes with a backpack cover
After walking across campus in the rain, there’s no doubt your backpack is going to get wet. If it’s raining hard enough, it could even soak through and get your books, laptop and anything else wet. The best solution to keeping everything in your bag dry — without buying an entirely new bag — is to get a backpack cover. It may look a little silly, but you won’t be the one stressing about water-logged notebooks and destroyed textbooks. This backpack cover from Amazon costs $9, takes just a minute to put on and will save your belongings.
3. Keep warm and dry with a raincoat
If you spend all morning picking out your outfit, you definitely don’t want it to be soaked by the time you get to class. On top of that, wet clothes can be heavy, cold and really uncomfortable to sit in until you can get changed. A nice raincoat like this one from The North Face is a one-time purchase that will keep you warm and dry, no matter what torrential downpour you may be walking through.
4. Splash through the puddles in some rain boots
The perfect accessory to any raincoat, rain boots will protect your socks from becoming soaked when you inevitably step in a puddle. Make sure to get extra tall ones to keep the splash out. These rain boots from Hunter almost reach your kneecap, and they even offer a 20% student discount. When there is only one path to class, and you have to choose between the squishy mud or a cold, soggy puddle, there is no guarantee that normal shoes will protect you.
5. Keep the makeup on your face with waterproof makeup
I used to think covering my face while running through the rain, or even walking with an umbrella, would keep my makeup safe. However, the constant humidity still caused a lot of running, especially with my mascara. The moist air would always make me want to rub my face, smearing it even more. Save some trouble with this waterproof foundation from Estee Lauder or this Covergirl waterproof mascara when you’re expecting a rainy day.
6. Dab away the raindrops with a towel or tissue
Moisture is inevitable on a rainy day. Bring a towel or some tissues to clear the moisture from your face. You can buy small packs of tissues that hardly take up any space in your backpack from Target. If you want to be more eco-friendly, you could walk around with a reusable makeup wipe like this one from Target. Ironically, all it needs is water.
7. Keep your feet dry with an extra pair of socks
Sometimes rain boots aren’t enough to protect your toes from the rain, and you still end up soaking your socks. To avoid any discomfort from wet socks, bring an extra pair of socks so you can have warm feet at the end of the day. Target sells cute crew socks that definitely won’t slide off your foot.
8. Pull your soaked locks out of your face with a scrunchie
Walking through rain can make your hair damp and frizzy, and if there’s wind, your hair could end up whacking you in the eye. Don’t waste your time pulling stray hairs from your eyes and mouth. Instead, pull out a cute scrunchie and tie your hair out of the way. This 12-piece scrunchie set from Kohl’s will surely match all your outfits.
9. Control your frizz with a travel-sized hair brush
Humidity is the main culprit when it comes to hair frizz. Having a small brush in your bag can help maintain control whenever you finally manage to escape the rain. Try this travel-sized Wet Brush from Target, specially made for detangling wet hair.
10. Warm yourself up with a hot drink
After a cold, wet, rainy day, there is nothing more comforting than going home, getting cozy with your favorite blanket and a warm drink. Make sure to remove all your soaked outwear to be placed on a drying rack and sit by the fire — or space heater — and enjoy a nice hot beverage. Hot chocolate and tea are two easy drinks to make in a dorm room if you can find a Keurig to provide the hot water.