The winter months are hard on people, no matter what age. We all remember what it was like to go out in the cold and snow and play with our friends for hours upon hours, but now it seems as if we can’t even walk from class to class without hating everything about the cold. Depression is typically associated with winter; not many people are too excited about getting out of their warm beds just to be met with cold air every morning.
This semester didn’t start out too well for those of us who do not embrace the cold, the rain or the wind. I happen to love winter — when it doesn’t come with wind. The wind makes me irritable because I’m 10 times colder. When the wind and cold are mixed with rain, all bets are off. The only thing we can do as students is to try to enjoy those chilly, but sunny, days. They come more often than not, and I know it’s hard sometimes, but try to find the good things about chilly weather.
It was easier to find ways to stay warm all day over Winter Break. You don’t have to leave your home — unless you’re working — if you don’t want to. You can stay inside and read a book or watch a good movie if it’s too cold outside for your liking. Ladies, this was the perfect time to buy those new boots you’ve been eyeballing or that new sweater to keep warm with. Not only will they last this winter season, chances are they’ll last through next winter and even beyond that. I’m not sure what to say to the guys out there, but you can buy things that make you happy and warm too, like gloves, hats and jackets. Just because you’re not a fashionista doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in the occasional shopping trip for things to bundle up with.
We all just got back from Winter Break, and with that long break comes expectations for making yourself happy and taking a mental break from the academia we are surrounded with eight months of the year. Summer and winter are exact opposites in regards to the weather but are alike in that they give us a much needed break from the inescapable drama that comes with being at a university or any other type of school. Yes, sometimes there are classes involved with these breaks, but you must keep looking on the bright side of life with those, too, and remember that a winter intersession course is only two weeks and will be over before you even realize it. You can do it.
The biggest problem with the winter months off from school is the sadness that sets in. Even if you’re not in a relationship, you can find something to do. You may be lonely without your friends from college, but that shouldn’t stop you from going out and finding new friends to surround yourself with. I know it isn’t easy to find people outside of your high school group or your newfound college friends, but it’ll be worth it in the end. I’m not saying you should hang out at the bar every night trying to find your next best friend or your soulmate, because that rarely happens. Go out with
those old friends from high school and you never know, something may spark between you and someone you used to just be friends with.
Winter internships are all the rage lately, too. You won’t be working with the company for long, but you can always find new people that way that will not only make your personal life more interesting, but your professional life, too. A person can always even use the seemingly crappy summer jobs to find their way in life. You may meet someone who knows someone who knows someone else who is currently working in the field you want to become part of. That’s the beauty of embracing the winter and looking on the bright side of any dull part of life. Find the good in any bad situation. I know the weather may have you down right now, but someone or something out there can pull you out of that slump because they don’t last forever.
You’ll miss the cold when it’s 110 degrees outside in the middle of summer. You’ll wish for that breeze to cool you, or you’ll desperately want the cold weather back. I know you may be wishing for summer now, but it’s a never-ending cycle. We always want what we can’t have and summer and warm weather, right now, are two of those. It’ll be spring before we know it. Just stick out the winter, and it’ll be over soon.
