Even for those who have lived in New England their whole lives, the weather here is still often an unknown. With everything from snow on April Fools’ Day to a non white Christmas, patrons of this region have to be ready for basically anything. Choosing to go to college far away from home is one thing, but going somewhere that is so vastly different in terms of culture and weather is another thing entirely. Many of Northeastern’s out of state students who lived in much warmer climates tend to have mixed emotions when it comes to the change of seasons and drastic drop in temperature. Although they knew what they were getting themselves into, it was still quite the shock to be cold in September and know that the worst was yet to come.
“First I was so confused and messed up about how the weather changes here,” said Logina Ragah from Egypt. “It can be rainy and sunny and cold all in the same day. But now I wear clothes for all kinds of weather situations in the same outfit.”
Although it can be quite the adjustment, the change of seasons does offer these tropical kids the chance to experience things they never could back home.
“I’m most excited about the fall leaves. I absolutely love colorful leaves,” said Rowan Walrath from Woodlands, Texas. “I plan to go down to the trees by the reflection pool and skip about and probably collect some like a child.”
In addition to the brisk fall days, the cold winter winds and snowfalls will be here before most of the heat accustomed students can compile a winter wardrobe.
“My first impression of the fall days here was that it felt a lot like a nicer winter day in California, but it’s merely fall here in Massachusetts,” said Natalie So. “My new friends who are east coast natives laugh at me and other Californians for only having hoodies and generally being super unprepared for winter here.”
The wind and bitter cold can be a slap in the face for anyone, but especially for those who don’t expect it and are unprepared.
“I heard that every year a few San Diegans are found frozen dead in the streets,” said Brennan Caruthers from Encinitas, San Diego.
Coming from places where a coat isn’t even necessary to Boston, where the weather changes by the hour, is quite extreme. The natives walk around like it’s nothing, showing off their immunity to such weather, which baffles many of the newcomers.
“I pretty much wear my boots and sweatshirt all the time, and I still don’t feel warm enough, and then I see people walking around in shorts, and I’m just like HOW?,” said Vidhi Agarwal of India. Other students chose to focus on the changes in more of an excited manner and embrace all that New England has to offer.