Winter quarter is a difficult time for most students because of the in-between feeling that consumes many of us. Just a few weeks ago, we were happy to have survived the fall quarter and now we have to adjust our mindset from winter break and the holidays back to school. This is especially difficult when we realize that after the winter quarter, we have to survive another quarter before we are free for summer vacation. It does not make it any easier that we have returned from our mini vacations to storms and have to schedule our lives around transportation complications because of the foreign rainy weather. The following are four ways I survive rainy and gloomy weather during a dismal quarter:
- Planning Ahead
While it can be difficult to plan ahead for unpredictable weather, I like to begin my quarter by writing all the major assignments and events I have for the quarter in my digital planner. In addition to this, making a weekly checklist of everything you have to accomplish is a great way to stay on top of your assignments and thus not panic when you lose electricity or feel overwhelmed/down and cannot fathom working on schoolwork on a specific day.
- Getting a good night’s rest
Completing your work ahead of time gives you the freedom to go to bed early—making you feel refreshed and ready to take on a stormy day, quite literally. Waking up exhausted taints many students’ moods, making it harder for us to wake up and deal with the rainy weather to make it to classes requiring a lot of walking.
- Dressing for cold and rainy weather
Going to school with the necessities to stay dry helps take away the dread of going to class in rainy weather. For many of us, knowing that we have a raincoat, rain boots, or an umbrella helps us make it indoors without the awfulness of having to sit in soaking wet clothes. Plus, now we don’t run the risk of getting sick.
- Figuring out my transportation
Like many students, I rely on Unitrans to go to and from school. Although public transportation is an excellent way to get from point A to point B, it can be frustrating and unpredictable under harsh weather conditions—or conditions Californians would deem harsh because of our lack of experience with rain. As a result of the unpredictability of weather complications, the first thing I like to do when waking up on rainy mornings or mornings after a rainy night is to check if my route is in service under the Unitrans website. Checking the status early on gives me time to figure out which other route I can take or whether I need to find alternative transportation.
While winter can dampen our mood and willingness to go out into the cold and attend classes, planning and putting our well-being first gives many of us the energy and attitude to get through such cold and bleak days. If the weather conditions are too harsh or unsafe, it is important to reach out to your professors and seek alternative ways to attend class (i.e. Zoom) because your safety should always be put first.