<p>Hi, I am currently living in Southern California and am heading to the Chicago area to attend school later this year. By the time I get there, summer will be over, and winter will be approaching. I understand that it's EXTREMELY cold there in the winter, so I am definately going to get some heavy coats to prevent dying as soon as I step outside. My question is directed to those who actually attend or have attended school in a low temperature region in the winter.</p>
<p>What do you usually wear indoors? In your dorm, and in classrooms? Is there usually a heating system which allows you to roam around indoors in t-shirts? Where I live, the rooms are usually air conditioned to a temperature lower than the outside temperature. Usually, it's around 70 F outside while classrooms are 60 F. If you were to visit a school in Chicago in the winter, what do you usually see students wearing? Say you walk into a typical dorm. Would people be wearing coats? Sweatshirts? T-shirts?</p>
<p>speaking as someone who's lived in both regions, your current so-cal wardrobe will be fine only for the late Spring, Summer, and the first weeks of Fall. For all other seasons, you need warmer clothes. Invest in 1-2 jackets, some more long sleeved shirts, and more closed-toed shoes. That should be good enough</p>
<p>There is no heating system. I slept in my snow pants and winter coat every night from late October to mid-March this past school year. There are icicles that form on shower heads. [/sarcasm]</p>
<p>Buildings are heated, don't worry. Some may be warmer than others, but people hang out in the dorms in tshirts, shorts, whatever, during the winter. Growing up in the Midwest, grade school/HS was sometimes cancelled because it was too hot out and the air conditioner wasnt working, or it was too cold and the heater wasnt working. Don't worry, this very rarely happens in college because 1) They have more money to take care of these things and 2) They can't just "send kids home"</p>
<p>I vividly remember the day in 5th grade when school was delayed because of snow and ice covered the roads overnight, so we had a 2-hour delay. But it was warm even in the morning and continued to get hotter and then had a two-hour early dismissal because the temperature had soared to like 85 and the AC wasn't functioning. And 85 in March is hot! But nowhere near the 100+ in July/August :)</p>
<p>I got two very nice and heavy winter coats and some boots for the heavy Great Lake snowfall. I'm always fine in a Tshirt and jeans or even shorts in the dorms. The classrooms are heated too.</p>
<p>The problem is that the dorms dont have A/C, so at the very beginning and very end of the year, it's extremely hot.</p>
<p>Thanks to those who posted something actually meaningful.</p>
<p>nodnard, I don't think you actually read my entire post, so I'll let you off this time.</p>
<p>I guess I will keep my current wardrobe for classrooms/dorms. I was already planning on getting some heavy coats for the outside weather (heavy as in, not-sold-in-California heavy).</p>
<p>In late january/february it gets ice cold and you might want extra thick socks or something, but it all depends how long you intend to where those outside. If you're going outside for more than 30 minutes... get something a little thicker because those dont stand a chance against a cold wind.</p>
<p>As for lake effect snow, don't expect that in Chicago... thats more the eastern side of Lake Michigan. Fall can be nice, sweatshirts and hoodies are great for a while. Layering is key: temperature can vary wildly in just one day.</p>
<p>If the school you're going to is anything like mine (in NH), the buildings will be heated to hotter than hell, so the only time you'll be cold is outside. Seriously, the dorms are about 80 degrees in the winter, and classroom buildings aren't much better. It's always fun to go from -30 windchill outdoors (no exaggeration; it happened multiple times this year), to 80 degrees indoors. You'll learn very quickly to layer, and to start unzipping layers before you even walk in the building. And you'll want to invest in boots. Even hiking boots would be fine, but Converse sneakers are NOT going to cut it when there's a snow storm, or it's icy out, or when there are negative windchills. Gloves, hat, ski band, and possibly a scarf would also be good investments for winter</p>
<p>I usually wear a sweatshirt, long sleeve shirt and jeans, or a fleece hoodie, long sleeve shirt and jeans. If it's the weekend sometimes the jeans get swapped for fleece pants. I've learned to keep the window open a crack so I don't die from the heat of the building, and that way I don't have to throw on ten million extra layers to go outside</p>
<p>For winter jackets, I strongly recommend LL Bean. The company is based out of Maine, and they make excellent winter weather gear. Look for a 3 in 1 jacket. They have a normal shell, with a fleece liner. Fleece is VERY warm, and the shell makes it more or less wind resistant, resulting in a warm jacket</p>
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usually 70 F outside while classrooms are 60 F
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<p>Seriously? You may be in for a shock this fall... It's already in the 90s with high humidity in Chicagoland, unfortunately.</p>
<p>You'll need gloves and something to keep your ears warm - headband, ear pops, or (the warmest option) a hood. Hiking style boots/shoes, or casual shoes that look like them, are waterproof for an inch or so above the ground. Unless you're going off sidewalks or are going outside for long periods they should be good enough for most days, assuming they keep the sidewalks on campus clear. <a href="http://www.landsend.com%5B/url%5D">www.landsend.com</a> has good winter outerwear too. Go ahead and dress warmly. People who are used to cold weather are somewhat acclimated, and it sounds like you won't be for a while.</p>
<p>I'm going to Northwestern, which is in Evanston. What kind of pants do you people wear? I like to wear jeans, but the ones I wear are pretty thin and flimsy.. almost like slacks. I think a cold wind would instantly freeze my balls off. Do you ever see people outside wearing slacks? Do you ever see people in business attire outside? How do they cope?</p>
<p>Get a longer jacket and you should be fine. It's actually kind of amusing seeing business people on the street in like nice suits but walking/gym shoes. My school is in the South Loop and I pass business people on the street even roller blading to work which I find highly amusing. </p>
<p>If you can afford it, the underwear, gloves, hats, and vests by this company made winter a lot of fun. I would feel my body pushed around by 20 mph winds, but my skin didn't feel a thing.</p>
<p>Layer, layer, layer, wool, gloves, hats, scarves. Tell your family and friends to buy you a gift card to the North Face or wherever for your graduation/holiday/birthday present. And COME TO SCHOOL WITH COLD WEATHER CLOTHES even if you plan to get them over Thanksgiving. Cali prob won't sell proper Chicago winter clothes anyway-- I could barely find the right kind of gear in NY.</p>
<p>i live about 10min from northwestern, I honestly dont think that the winters here are that horrible, the only problem i have with them is that they seem to linger on, I suggest u just get all the typical winter gear remember your coming to Evanston not antartica, id say just bring tons of pants and atleast one solid winter coat.</p>
<p>I have the top down. Long heavy coat down to my knees, with layers underneath. My main concern now is how to prevent my balls from freezing off while wearing a pair of slacks. I will be in situations where I must dress in business attire, so I want to come prepared.</p>
<p>that sounds like overkill to me, if ur living on or near campus you shouldnt have to bad of a walk, Also its NOT that cold in Evanston durring the winter, I never wear any past a good pair of jeans, and dress pants should be warm enough</p>
<p>D is attending Northwestern-we live in california. If converse tennis shoes are not good options-then just what kind of boots are you talking about? The rubberized boots sold by LL Bean-or UGGs? Does she wear her ski clothes? or??
Do we shop in Evanston for these items, or buy them here (Northface has an outlet nearby) With wind factor taken into account-do we plan for less than zero weather?</p>
<p>In the winter people wear jeans, business clothes if they have to, and alot more sweats come out in the winter. Get a good heavy jacket. I wear Columbia coat that has a zip-out fleece liner. This is also the coat that I wear when I go snowboarding in Colorado and I rarely, almost never, get cold in it. Get some gloves, and a stocking cap. Get a scarf if you want. I live in Iowa and we get sub-zero temps and a lot of snow, and I wear my Asics sneakers all winter long. Unless your school does a really crappy job of cleaning the sidewalks, you shouldnt need boots. I have a pair of snowboard boots but I dont use them for walking around or anything like that, and I mainly wear jeans and sweats for pants.</p>
