Tuesday Tips

COLD INCOMING...

(Reflections from a first year student from MN)

Many Macalester students fear the Minnesota’s infamous winters. Settle down people. Yes, the winter in Minnesota is colder than most places across the U.S. and around the World, however, with a little preparation, the winter will become one of your favorite times of the year.

In order to combat winter, the first step is dressing properly. The most important thing is dressing in layers. This means wearing a combination of long sleeve shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and jackets. It is also important to cover your head and hands with gloves and a hat because heat will escape through these body parts, thus making you cold and further your hate of Minnesota winters. A good pair of winter boots is also necessary. Get over thinking about fashion, because the road and sidewalk salt will leave your boots looking crusty. The best boots have good insulation and are waterproof, meaning appearance is often an afterthought. Places such as Patagonia, The North Face, Goodwill, and Sporting Goods stores sell all of the necessary clothing.

If you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, hand and feet warmers are a nice luxury to have. Purchasing a package from Target at the beginning of the season and storing them in your dorm room is a good idea. The key to enjoying Minnesota winters is dressing properly. If you can keep your body warm, then you will be able to stop complaining and start enjoying. After overcoming the initial shock of it being cold outside, you will notice all of the fun things that you can do in the winter.

Pastimes such as sledding, ice skating, and snowshoeing are all prominent in Minnesota and should be taken advantage of. Just remember if you cannot handle winters, it’s just four years of your life.

Seize the day and enjoy the SNOW!