Hey, I was just accepted to CSE :D! However, I live in California, specifically the Bay Area, and I’m concerned about how I’m going to fare in the cold weather up there. The lowest that we usually get to is around 36-40 degrees Fahrenheit in winter mornings. Though I think I can suck up to the cold, I’m scared that Minnesota is going to be too cold for me. Is there anyone who had the experience of moving to such a different climate? I don’t want the weather to be the deal-breaker in my choice of going to UMN or not.
My dd went from San Diego to Buffalo NY. There were lots of ways she acclimated.
She was able to take the cold because of the setup of the school. They had a “tunnel system”.
The dorms were built over underground pathways. The students would go down to the first floor and wait for a bus in the tunnel. These “roads” are utilized by the shuttles to pick up students, within the tunnels, and shuttle them over to the school buildings’ glass tunnels.
She had to purchase a winter coat, boots, gloves and hat, ice scraper and snow shovel and get used to “lake effect” snow. She used plenty of gift cards to Tim Horton’s.
She had to park her car in a lot, with a “higher elevation”. Snow drifts tend to cover your car in the winter, so she had a “bright” car cover and had to remember which lot her car was buried under.
I made a similar move for grad school and it was hard on me for the first year but fine after that. I remember the hardest months were not January/February which were the coldest months but rather the spring March/April even May where it kept being cold and drab unlike my place of origin where it was almost summer. One thing to watch is vitamin D but I am not sure if that is applicable coming from the Bay Area but for my case it was a big issue.
D grew up in the Bay Area and went to Dartmouth. Had a blast. Back in California now in grad school and misses “real” seasons. Human beings are amazingly adaptable. Good insulated boots, warm coat, hat & gloves – and you’ll be fine. And think of how much fun it will be to step out of your dorm and have a snowball fight!
I’ve lived in both places and in Chicago as well so have some experience with both the west coast and Midwest.
You’ll be fine. The Bay Area has that bone-chilling wet cold that doesn’t happen in MN. The only thing you’ll miss is the wonderful quality of that “just perfect” humidity level - you only get that on a few days here (I think in June LOL). One great thing is that we have real seasons. Fall here is gorgeous!
My experience has been that living with the cold in MN is much easier than, say, Chicago - the latter doesn’t have the extensive skyway system that exists in downtown Minneapolis nor does it have as much indoor parking (which is the norm here . . . ). Specific to your situation, the U has the Gopher Way tunnel system for the Minneapolis campus so you don’t even have to venture outside much if you don’t want to. And Minnesotans aren’t known for their inactivity during the winter months so if you choose to venture out and enjoy a real winter you will be able to find PLENTY to do.
Buying a really warm coat and hat/gloves will help a lot. You will be able to dress for the cold most days and be able to walk across campus comfortably (assuming low or no windchill). Consider it like living near some great skiing! Which is true, by the way (especially the Nordic).
You should definitely start taking D3 though because there just isn’t as much sun in the winter (and you’ll be indoors more due to the cold). I actually find it much more sunny here than when I lived in Chicago but the reality is that you will be significantly farther north than you are used to and so the sun is more toward the southern horizon and rises late (and sets early). Summer is the complete opposite, of course. And in the event that you feel you are very sensitive to lack of light (as a couple of my kids are) then you can always purchase a phototherapy light and use it for 15 minutes per day. Amazon sells some nice big ones for a reasonable price. In conjunction with the D3 it should keep you feeling as perky as you were in CA.
My daughter moved there from Atlanta. Today it is minus 2 degrees, and minus 18 with wind chill. She texted me that, “It’s not -that- cold out.” She’s dressed warmly (she said the secret is “layers”), and as already mentioned there are tunnels available on all UMN campuses if it really seems too cold out or you have a long way to go to class.
When we visited there before she enrolled, we went in January. Students were still going about their outdoor activities, including riding bicycles to class if that was what they preferred. You’ll be fine.
