Surviving the NYC Winter
Winter at Barnard is when the days are short and classes feel long. The winter air is shockingly crisp, and refuge in the library or a coffee shop has never felt so warm and cozy. Walking through campus brings dark academia aesthetic galore, and you swear you once saw Ms. Alma Mater wink at you through the snowflakes.
I have always had a bit of trouble with snow. It’s not that I am unfamiliar, for I have experienced many snowstorms. It is that watery, gray, mystery slush that remains after the initial winter wonderland. However, somehow, NYC can pull off the neutral colored, trash filled slush look. Just make sure you have good boots.
Never will I understand how NYC natives can somehow pick us transplants out of a crowd. So, if you want to be the Barnard main character, get a big black puffer jacket and throw your books over your shoulder in a Brooklyn thrift store tote bag.
Take advantage of the Liz’s Place meal swipes! Hot coffees in between classes during a cold day on campus can save lives.
Everywhere you go, absolutely everywhere, you will be stepping in salt. If you don’t fancy a sodium covered apartment floor, make sure to get a cute doormat.
Rotate your go-to coffee shops! Cafes can be the perfect place for a cold study day, so make sure to have a bunch in your repertoire. Some of my personal favorites are Peaky Barista, Hex & CO, and the Hungarian Pastry shop.
All students are having a hard time motivating during this time, so don’t feel alone if you are a bit run down. Grab some friends or classmates and study together!
Take a day to spend time at museums. There are lots of museums around Barnard on the Upper West Side, and it is a fun, interesting, and warm activity for the winter time. Bring layers everywhere you go! Barnumbia does not mess around with temperature, so the buildings are either violently freezing or sweltering, there’s no in between. A Barnard hack is to utilize the underground tunnels that connect essentially all buildings on campus together!
Radiators in the dorms can be loud and drying, so I recommend a sound machine or earplugs as well as a humidifier. Humidifiers are my biggest skincare hack!
Never feel stressed about wearing sweats to class. Barnard baddies often stunt with high levels of gorgeous fashion, but sometimes you just gotta pull out your cozy winter clothes to roll out of bed and head to class.
Always have chargers with you. On cold, snowy days I often camp out in the library or in a cafe, so I don’t want to have to head back to my dorm to grab a charger if my computer isn’t fully charged. Prepare yourself for a day of successful studying!
Remember that Spring comes so much faster than you think.
Don't forget to go sledding!