So far this season, Boston weather has been pretty unpredictable. One day, it’s warm enough to walk to class without even a jacket, but on the following day, there aren’t enough layers in the world to mask the searing cold. Boston hasn’t yet been hit with substantial snow, but it has been cold enough for students’ legs to go numb just from walking to class. Luckily, January is coming to a close, which means that one of the most difficult winter months is over for another year. Still, the polar vortex is no joke, so bundle up, collegiettes, and prepare yourself to survive the weeks of red noses and icy staircases that are still to come!
1. Wear more layers than socially acceptable.Like, seriously. Layers make an enormous difference. Wear leggings under your jeans. Wear multiple pairs of socks. Don’t leave your dorm without a hat. Put on gloves or stick your hands in your pockets if you must. The less of your body that is exposed to the cold air, the better you will feel.
2. Moisturize excessivelyIf you’re like me, your hands get dry just from carrying your coffee from Starbucks back to your dorm room, and you can never find your chap stick when you desperately need it. In order to lessen the discomfort of dry hands and chapped lips, make sure you always have a travel-size hand lotion and a couple of tubes of chap stick in your bag, to apply before class, during class, after class—pretty much whenever you get the chance.
3. Don’t underestimate the power of a hot drink.If ever there was a time to splurge on that caramel flan latte from Starbucks, it’s on a day when it’s less than 15 degrees outside. Whether it’s coffee from the dining hall, earl grey tea from the library café, or instant hot chocolate in your microwave, drinking hot liquids is guaranteed to help warm you up.
4. Find a cold survival buddy.If you have to walk somewhere that’s more than 10 minutes away, it’s nice to have at least one person to go with you, so that you can complain about the cold together instead of suffering through it alone. Just watch out for that friend-who-doesn’t-dress-appropriately-for-the-weather-but-complains-unceasingly-about-how-cold-they-are-and-doesn’t-take-your-hat-when-you-offer-it-to-them.
If no one wants to brave the cold with you, listening to music also works as a distraction.
5. Take a deep breath and remember that you will be inside soon.Honestly, no matter how many precautions you take, there’s no real way to escape the Boston cold (but that’s no excuse to avoid wearing layers!). Still, the time you spend outside is likely pretty minimal. So when you have to walk to class, or to work, or to the library, simply grit your teeth and try and get there as fast as you can. After all, nothing beats the relief of that first gust of warm air. Just try not to think about how soon you’ll have to go outside again.