If any of you have read my last story published, you’ll know that I’ve been beefing hard with the snow in Marquette.
Little did I know that the weather would get worse. For the past two weeks, I’ve been battling a sinus infection. Before the temperatures dropped, I didn’t stand a chance against the snow. Luckily, the back door to my apartment has been cleared of snow. It’s short enough where I could make sure the snow was taken care of even while I was sick. The front door and sidewalk are a different story.
When the temperatures dropped, I could only breathe from my mouth, and shoveling was causing some issues. At this point, I’ve given up on shoveling it until the temperatures return to a safe-ish level for me to attempt.
During my many attempts to go outside, bundled up to take care of my snow piles, I realized what it took for me to be able to trudge outside in these insane weather conditions.
Here is Megan’s not-so-perfect guide to being an NMU student during below freezing temps.
One of the things that helped me during this past week was starting my car. I always start my car. This week, after I put my contacts on and fed my cats, my typical first step of my day, I would stomp outside unhappily to make sure my car was somewhat warm by the time I would leave my apartment after 20 minutes of getting ready. With each passing day, I would want to go out in the cold in my pajamas less and less, but I know my car appreciates this. I’m no car expert, but I’ve been told that it’s good for cars to warm up, so hopefully my car appreciated this extra thing I did, even when I didn’t want to.
The next thing I did to prepare for the cold was layering. Dressing in layers is important for many reasons. Obviously, when you’re walking to class when it’s below freezing temperatures, you need layers to ensure you don’t get frostbite. But layers aren’t just for walking outside. I’ve been on campus long enough to know how cold our buildings get, even when temperatures aren’t below freezing. I could be in a classroom in a sweatsuit, and I’ll still be shivering. Sitting in our classrooms is cold enough as is, and when you’re met with a cold when all you want is to warm up while inside it’s infuriating.
And finally, my last piece of advice is to get up earlier. I’m typically a girl who gets up with just enough time to get everything I need done and run out the door in a rush. These two weeks, I decided I should get up earlier in case snow removal would be a problem, and so my car would have enough time to wake up with me. Waking up early has also given me a chance to take care of other tasks when I’m done dressing myself and taking care of my cats.
Now, as the air gets warmer and we enter double-digit temperatures, I’m more thankful for the weather around me. Now that I know what rock bottom feels like, I know what to appreciate. These three tips of advice don’t only apply to days where it’s extra cold, but also to typical days where you can set yourself up for success.
