Remember to wear your pajamas inside out and backwards. In hopes of cancelled classes, this is just one of many superstitions students do to get that raresnow day.
Sleeping in is the first perk of a snow day. You get to turn off your alarm that you were going to snooze five times anyways and stay in bed for an extra hour, or three.
College students need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Most students find it hard to reach this goal, making snow days the perfect time to catch up.
Once you wake up, you’re faced with the problem of how to spend your time.
Some students are productive. They see the extra hours as a chance to get caught up on homework and studying.
Some consider snow days a day off.
Movies and television are a popular choice of entertainment. Cuddle up in front of the TV with a blanket, popcorn and some hot cocoa, and all that’s missing is the roaring fire.
Netflix is the distraction of choice for sophomore economics major Esther Kaufman.
“I don’t like to think about anything,” Kaufman said.
Giving your brain a rest is a great way to spend a cold day of no classes. Just be wary of starting a new television series. Those may take more time to watch than your snow day allows.
Instead, invite some friends over and watch movies all day. Animated Disney films are a nostalgic way to take your mind out of work mode.
More adventurous students take advantage of the class cancelling precipitation. They gear up in snow boots and winter jackets and head for the hills. There, they enjoy the unspoken University of Maryland tradition of riding diner trays as sleds.
In recent years, the university has tried to discourage the tradition by removing trays from the diners on days it’s supposed to snow. Additionally, they’ve been selling sleds around campus beginning in the spring semester. Those with Terpbucks to spare can find them at locations such as the 24 Shop or the convenience store in the Cambridge Community Center.
Those up for less of a thrill, or who simply find more fun in creativity, build the snow into snowmen or igloos. Last year someone even recreated Olaf, the snowman from the popular Disney film “Frozen.”
Of course, these sculptures also make great barriers during snowball fights.
Freshman roommates Chad Gruzin and Justin Goldberg have yet to experience a snow day at the University of Maryland, but they’re looking forward to the opportunity.
“I’d go to the mall,” Gruzin, a finance major, said. “I feel like there’s gonna be snowball fights there.”
Goldberg, a psychology major, is more interested in looking around than looking for a fight.
“The first time, I’d probably walk around and see what happens on a snow day,” he said.
Whether you’re braving the cold or staying bundled up inside, snow days are like a holiday. They’re a break in routine that many students need.
While they almost always occur in the spring for the University of Maryland, there’s no reason not to get a head start crossing your fingers now.