This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Gonzaga chapter.
Fall is officially upon us, which means Zag Fam Weekend (formerly Fall Family Weekend) is right around the corner! That means it’s time to share a steamy PSL and stories with your family. Unfortunately, it’s also that time of year again to begin bracing yourself for the coming winter – five months of below freezing temperatures and buckets of snow!
Just kidding (kind of). Regardless of whether you’re ready or not, here are some helpful tips for surviving a Snowkane winter!
- Be prepared and plan ahead! Make sure you have a pair of snow boots, a heavy winter coat, hats, gloves, thick socks, and scarves. Pick up a packet of hand or toe warmers too! They help prevent the loss of feeling in your hands and toes while walking to and from classes.
- Layer, LAYer, LAYER. Wear leggings or compression pants underneath your jeans, long sleeves underneath your shirts and sweatshirts and jackets, double-up on socks and gloves, and wear a hat to go under your hood. It may be tedious to shed and put on layers before and after class, but I promise it will be worth it.
- It’s okay if you slip and fall. It gets pretty icy during the two-month transition into somewhat bearable weather conditions (i.e no more snowfall and five degrees above freezing). Part of the snow will melt and then freeze overnight, then it will snow more the next day and the process will repeat itself. If you find yourself skating across the street to Jepson one moment, and on the ground looking up at the grey sky the next, fear not. You’ll see people slipping, sliding, and falling all across campus. Unless you’re hurt, try to get up and laugh it off. It happens to the best of us.
- Take the time to go on a snow walk around campus. One of the many things we at Her Campus love about GU is how beautiful it looks in the winter. Be sure to stop by St. Al’s, the Grotto and Lake Arthur!
- Be safe and be smart! Winter at GU can be a great time to make life-long memories with friends, but it can also be dangerous. If you and a group of friends decide to go exploring, sledding, skiing, or snowboarding, follow necessary safety precautions to make sure everyone is being safe and having fun. Even if you’re doing something as simple as walking across the street, take the time to double-check because it is more difficult for a moving vehicle to stop in the snow or on ice.
- Have fun! Whether this is your first winter with snow or your 20th, enjoy it! Go take artsy or goofy pictures with friends, try skiing for the first time, or simply cuddle up inside with a cup of hot cocoa and watch the snow fall.
Enjoy autumn while it lasts, but remember…