The University of Iowa student body consists of students from all around the country, even international students! Many of these students are from areas outside of the Midwest and aren’t used to the cold, chilling, Iowa winters. Even I, who was born and raised in Iowa, find Iowa winters daunting.
With winter weather right around the corner, I thought I’d share my winter thoughts, recommendations, and ideas.
Buy a warm winter coat! We all know it wasn’t “cool” to wear a winter coat in middle school, but in Iowa City, you’ll need one. Although your classes aren’t too far away, the temperatures and wind chill can feel pretty cold if you’re walking without a coat. I recommend buying a long winter coat, as I find that mine keeps me warm. You will also want to invest in a good pair of gloves and a hat. I find that my fingers and ears are some of the first things to get cold in the winter.
Boots! Personally, I did not own a pair of boots in high school. At college, I find that boots are a necessity. We haven’t even had a ‘big snowfall’ yet, and I have already worn mine a couple times. Boots keep your feet warm and dry when walking in snow, rain, and ice around campus.
Cars! If you are bringing a car to campus as a freshman, you’ll most likely be storing it in the Hawk Lot. This lot is a few miles off campus and will require some other form of transportation to get there. I personally did not bring a car to campus, but I know a few other students who did. If you are bringing your car, I recommend making sure you have jumper cables and a shovel in your trunk. There may be times when your car won’t start, or you have to shovel around it to get out. If you know you’ll be needing your car on the weekend and want to make sure it starts, you can head to the Hawk Lot, grab your car, and park it in the Hancher parking lot on the west side. Parking here is free after four o’clock on Fridays, and all weekend!
With winter starting, these are just a few of my recommendations for helping anyone prepare for the long months ahead. As the season continues new discoveries and ideas will be made and I will have more to share come the spring semesters. Hopefully, you take the above recommendations into consideration when preparing for winter in Iowa City!
