<p>As talks of the bad weather are the hot topic now, I look at the colleges my son is applying to for grad school. All are in a northern climate. Though this is a broad question, I'd like some tips on how he should handle finding housing, travel options, etc, when he is coming from a southern climate and not used to snow, below 30 degree temps.</p>
<p>Should he try to live in dorms on campus, even though he'll be in grad school, just to make getting to class easier? Should he not even try to come home for holidays, for fear of not being able to get back to campus in time for the spring semester? Should he have a car, or just rely on public transportation, as he won't be used to driving in snow, ice?</p>
<p>This will definitely be an adventure, but one son is determined to take on. His area of interest is not concentrated in the south, and even though he did his undergraduate degree in a southern state, he realizes to pursue the opportunities he wants, he will have to make a major geographic move.</p>
<p>The 30-below temps are highly unusual, even in the upper midwest. Also, if he was at UW or UMN (or many other schools on semester schedules), he wouldn’t even be back for another two weeks. As for the travel hassles, they can happen no matter where he is going (assuming he has to fly). Flights are interconnected through hubs. (So for example, your son could have to travel from Jacksonville to Houston and still end up waiting for an aircraft that was stuck in Philly on its way to Atlanta, where he had a connection.) And travel hassles can happen any time of year, really. You just happen to be writing this on a day that many parts of the country broke records for nasty weather, even in the south!</p>
<p>There is nothing special about finding housing in a northern place. You still need four walls, indoor plumbing, and so on…not to mention heat. If he doesn’t want to have to drive, he should choose an apartment near public transportation. Of course, driving in bad weather is a teachable skill. I went from Florida to Chicago for college. After I graduated my first car was a rear-wheel drive Volvo that liked to fishtail on the expressway. I quickly learned how to drive safely on slippery roads (and switched to front-wheel drive as soon as possible!). </p>
<p>People here could give you more specific advice if you mentioned some of the schools on his list. Obviously, not all northern cities/college towns/rural hamlets are the same. I think he will love his adventure, no matter where he ends up!</p>
<p>There is nothing really foreign about living in a 4-season climate other than needing warm clothes for a couple months. As Sally says apartments are apartments, instead of air conditioning the majority of the year we use heat (and some people like air conditioning in the summer). Driving on snow and ice is easily learned or if he’s going to a major city with public transportation he can use that to get around. If he’s coming to Michigan he’ll learn to drive most likely. My southern roommate in college showed up with only an unlined wool peacoat, no boots or hat or mittens and learned quickly what snow and cold is. She loved it and never moved back down south. </p>
<p>Sally is spot on with air travel - doesn’t really matter where you are if there are weather issues in one spot anywhere in the country it impacts the entire country.</p>
<p>Also, all other things being equal (and they never are), closer is better. Dorms are way convenient. If that doesn’t work, colleges often have a housing office to assist those not on campus.</p>
<p>To me, a warm jacket & boots are more useful than a car (tho’ this from someone who’d rather walk the 3 miles to work in Boston than drive or take public transit). I have a car, but driving in the city in winter sucks. Driving in the country in the winter isn’t much better. (I typically only do it to go skiing, or to take my son to or from boarding school in VT.) At a large enough school (or even a small one), it should be easy enough to ride share.</p>
<p>All that said – winter in the north is invigorating fun, if you embrace it. There’s a lot to be said for a winter wonderland.</p>
<p>Montegut: if your son visits these prospective schools, i’m sure he’ll see many foreign students from tropical climes (South Asia, SE Asia, Indonesia, Middle East, Africa)… perhaps he should ask how they deal with the transition?</p>
<p>I agree - it’s not a big deal. My D went south from the north - and she made it there/back every time after breaks (once it was on the heels of a huge snowfall).</p>
<p>The north is no different from the south in terms of driving - he will need a car in some cities, but not in others. My D went to school in Nashville, and she needed a car. She now lives in Chicago, and she doesn’t have a car. If she lived in Detroit, she would need a car. </p>
<p>The big difference is that it can get pretty cold in the north! Many of the students at the grad school where I work have not experienced cold weather. They all bought warm clothes, boots, gloves, etc - and they are surviving. It’s only 2 years. :)</p>
<p>Several colleges we visited in upstate New York this past summer have passageways between the buildings. So once he’s out of the bus or car and in a building, the chances are that he won’t have to go outside until he goes home.</p>
<p>This is the Golden Age of lightweight, comfortable, warm clothing and undergarments. He’s much better off in the frigid North now than even a decade ago–all he has to do is go to an outdoor-sports-centered store and they will set him up for any crappy, cold weather outside. Good luck to him!</p>
<p>Thanks for mentioning about the car. What kind of drive does one need for driving in the snow/ice? Should son get a jeep like car? Right now, he drives my four door Toyota that he inherited. We’ve actually had snow a few times down here, and I’ve watched the cars fishtail, so I think that’s my biggest concern, is that he has the appropriate transportation.</p>
<p>He would not be moving to a third world for goodness sake. If he is considering the northeast, you just said northern, he may be moving to one, if not the, most sophisticated part of the world. Washington DC, NYC, Boston.</p>
<p>Roads are cleared, airports usually kept open, apartments heated. Do not worry!</p>
<p>Many universities have on-campus apartments for graduate students. Sometimes these are even cheaper than the private housing market in the area. (Stanford and Columbia, for instance, subsidize student housing.) </p>
<p>Re grad students and dorms, I wouldn’t recommend it. Graduate apartments, unlike undergraduate dorms, can usually be occupied year-round.</p>
<p>Most people in northern climates have regular cars just like everywhere else. I don’t even know a lot of people with snow tires (although I put them on my daughter’s car and love them). I actually see more AWD SUVs when I am down in Miami than I do up here.</p>
<p>I think you are worrying about too many logistical things that really will sort themselves out once he has settled on a program. Again, give us some details and we can be more helpful. We like to help!</p>
<p>I currently live in an area of southern CA with one of the most mild climates in the US. We had a highs in the mid 70s F today. I have also lived in an area of the northeast that had temperatures below 0 F this week. Moving from one area to the other can be quite a transition. Obviously one needs a different set of clothing, including things like hats and gloves. Having chap stick and moisturizer on hand can also be helpful. Housing requirements are not that different, aside from likely spending more time indoors during the winter. </p>
<p>Driving in snow and ice can take some getting used to. I know someone who says she gets in an car accident most times she visits family in VA for Christmas due to not being used to driving in bad weather. However, if you have snow or all weather tires with decent tread, and gradually get experience as weather gradually changes, you should be fine. You don’t need a specialty off road vehicle, unless you plan to drive off road. It would be nice to have 4-wheel drive, but it’s not essential. A basic Honda, Toyota, Ford, or similar should be fine. The car manual will likely list specific advice for driving that model of car in snow.</p>
<p>I drive a Pontiac Vibe, and H drives a little Saturn. We have driven vans, as well. All are fine in the snow, although H’s Saturn is not one I would recommend for someone not used to driving in the snow - I think maybe it is too light? Although my Vibe is small, it doesn’t have the plastic body. Tires are important - we don’t need snow tires in lower MI, but good all-weather tires with treads that are not worn are necessary.</p>
<p>I grew up in a warm place and went to grad school in MA. A good coat and a pair of warm, waterproof boots improved my life immensely. You’ll never want for Christmas present ideas–another scarf, hat, or pair of gloves is always appreciated.</p>
<p>My daughter went from Calif to East Coast for undergrad and is now in Madison WI. She never mentions the weather, just once to say how convenient it is that they plow the bike paths pronto. She bikes and uses the convenient bus system. It isn’t a big place. Easy to get around. My sister did give her a good pair of heavy boots when she first moved there.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine a grad student wants to live in a dorm. Her first year she did a room rental from an alumni couple that rent 2 rooms on a separate floor to grad students every year. That was easy. The next year she formed a house with 3 other grad students. After a couple years she got her own apartment. Each U probably has housing resources and everyone everywhere uses craigslist.</p>
<p>My son is currently living and working in the DC area, but has plans to attend law school this fall. Most of his choices are located in the north or midwest (he has two in the south, but the upper portion of the south). He has no use for a car – insurance is expensive, he says, and public transportation, in general, is pretty good. We’ll provide a new, warmer jacket if needed. He has the boots and gloves.</p>
<p>As for living on campus, he probably will be in law school/grad school housing. </p>
<p>What your son needs to do is look at each city individually. A car may not be needed in some places like DC (Metro is wonderful, and it takes you to the airport, too). My son loves to walk – even on the colder days. Great exercise, and you get to experience that area’s culture. </p>
<p>Once your son settles on a school, he can make plans for his new adventure. Until that time, just go with the flow.</p>
<p>I can’t imagine a grad student wanting to live in a dorm. Some schools have student apartments that might be better on campus housing for a grad student.</p>
<p>My son is a FL boy in OH. He is in his 2nd year of college and he has adapted although he really doesn’t like the cold. I think your son will figure out the logistics of living in a cold climate. If you want to be nice to him get him a nice winter coat and some good, warm boots.</p>
<p>As for a car I would say that it depends on the city. My son is in Cleveland where a car is useful. He doesn’t drive all that much but Cleveland’s mass transit is just ok. Sometimes he needs to drive. He got a friend to help him learn to drive in snow but honestly he avoids driving when there is a lot of snow on the ground (he lives close to campus).</p>
<p>Two small pieces of advice (from the parent of a student who graduated from a college in upstate New York a few years ago and will be going to graduate school in the upper Midwest in the fall):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When looking for apartments, ask whether utilities are included in the rent. If they’re not, ask for estimates on the cost of utilities, especially heat. Only in this way can you compare the cost of different apartments in a reasonable way.</p></li>
<li><p>For someone who is not used to winter driving, it’s nice to have an apartment that’s either within walking distance of campus or easily reachable from the campus by mass transit. That way, you don’t have to drive if you feel that your skills are not yet up to the conditions on a particular day.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>*Many universities have on-campus apartments for graduate students. Sometimes these are even cheaper than the private housing market in the area. (Stanford and Columbia, for instance, subsidize student housing.) </p>
<p>Re grad students and dorms, I wouldn’t recommend it. Graduate apartments, unlike undergraduate dorms, can usually be occupied year-round.*</p>
<p>Exactly.</p>
<p>Many univs who have “grad housing” are usually providing apartments because many grads are married, have kids, etc. Sometimes those apts are on campus, slightly away from dorms…sometimes they’re a block or two away from campus and may have tram service.</p>