Winter weather is closer than we think. Here are a few essential items to get you through the cold months.

1. Get yourself some chap stick.

There are so many different brands and flavors of chap stick that I actually get excited to buy some. My personal favorite is the strawberry flavored Carmax. If you are a guy, and don’t want to look like you are wearing lipstick, I suggest you make sure it is not tinted.

2. Get a good moisturizer.

Even if you don’t normally put lotion on your face, make sure you put it on before you go outside in the cold. Your face will chap and it will cause it to look very dry and rough. Moisturizer also comes in different brands and they have certain types for different skin types.

3. Get a jacket.

I thought I would be able to survive in just long sleeves and sweatshirts -- I have never been so wrong. Buying an actual winter jacket saved my life. It makes life easier especially since the classrooms feel like 100 degrees. It's easier to take off one jacket than it is to peel off four layers.

4. Get some gloves.

You don’t want to freeze your hands off. Personally, I hate it when my hands and feet are cold.

5. Get some fuzzy socks.

My favorite part of the winter is buying fuzzy socks. They make your feet nice and warm, and they are so comfortable. An added benefit is that if you put lotion on your feet and then the socks before you go to bed, you wake up with moisturized feet.

6. Invest in snow boots.

Snow boots are especially necessary if you live in an area where there is heavy snow. When I was younger, we wore warm socks and shoes with trash bags over our feet to help keep the water out. In my first few years of college, I wore rain boots with multiple layers of socks, but they were not insulated. I need to invest in actual snow boots this winter.

7. Get a toboggan or ear warmers.

They will mess up your hair, but they actually make really cute head-warming apparel, so it is totally worth it.

8. Hot chocolate.

Whether you make yours with milk or water, make sure you have some hot cocoa so when you get home you can relax and warm up!

9. A warm throw blanket.

Nothing is better than sitting on the couch watching a movie while curled up in a warm blanket.

10. Not really an essential item, but an essential tip.

Make sure you blow dry your hair before you go outside. Sometimes I would leave my house right after I got out of the shower, and my hair would freeze. I believe going outside with your hair wet gets you sick is just a myth, but you really should dry your hair.