Spring semester is rough if you go to a school where its cold three of the four months. I found this out the hard way freshman year spring semester. Waking up for class seemed almost impossible when my bed was a warm and cozy cocoon while my room might as well have been an icebox.
When I would come home from class I would get right back in bed, try to do some homework, but usually ended up falling back asleep. Everyone was sick and no one was in the mood to do anything. Plus it was too cold to walk to my friend’s dorms to hang out.
Spring semester makes it pretty easy to fall into a slump. And the lack of sun definitely doesn’t help the situation (if you’re reading this and you go to a school where its warm 90% of the time, I envy you).
It’s important to remember that everyone is cold and tired and probably lonely, it’s not just you. These couple of ideas are a great way to stay warm, but also stay happy and in-touch with your friends during these frigid months:
1. Start a book club.
Now you may read this and think "I'm a college student, not a 50-year-old stay-at-home-mom" but hear me out! During the winter its great to curl up in your warm bed with a heated blanket, good book, and mug of coffee (or wine, your choice). But just like finding what to watch next on Netflix, it can be hard to figure out what to read next.
You and your friends could run this "book club" one of two ways, you could all read the same book and then discuss it (or not, maybe you just want to enjoy the book) or you could recommend books to one another and all read different books. Either way, you could do this without ever baring the cold!
2. Go to the gym with friends.
Maybe you already do this, or maybe you already to go the gym but not with friends. Even though this requires you to leave your room, it's a task that will make you feel amazing in the end.
During the winter its easy to put on a few pounds and sleeping all the time can make you feel pretty crappy. But by making a pact with your friends to go to the gym, you all hold each other accountable and you'll feel great by doing it.
3. Skype or FaceTime chats.
Sometimes you want to talk to your BFF but its too cold to leave your dorm or apartment and walk to their place. It may seem silly to video chat someone who is a 5-minute walk away, but this way you never have to leave your bed!
Or even better, call someone who is at a different school or a family member. These cold months are a great time to talk to someone you haven't seen in a while.
4. Sleepovers.
One of the worst parts about the cold months is that when you do finally bundle up and walk to your friend's dorm, you never want to leave at the end of the night because your even more tired and the cold seems even worse! So instead plan a sleepover!
College dorms can be tiny but this is what makes it even more fun! (But definitely make sure your roommate is okay with it before you invite a bunch of people over) Have everyone plan to bring a blanket and pillow and spend the night cozied up together, watching a movie, relaxing and laughing. And at the end of the night, no one has to bare the cold!
5. Embrace the cold.
Even though it sucks, try embracing what mother nature has given you! That is, if there's snow. Try bundling up and going outside to make a snow angel or snowman. Or grab a trash bag from the trash room and find a hill on campus to sled down and at the end of it all head back to the dining hall for a cup of hot chocolate, believe me, you'll have tons of fun.
To really enjoy spring semester it important to do what makes you happy because you do not want to fall into a funk.
