<p>So I'm currently a junior, but I was looking for some advice. I live in North Carolina, but am really interested in going to schools in the north (PN and NY mostly).
Do you have children that have been through this transition? What advice would you think is most necessary? What are some essential supplies that someone would need to not freeze during the winter?</p>
<p>Well, where in the north exactly? Like, I live an hour away from NYC, but still get culture shock every time I go there.</p>
<p>I was wondering mostly about the weather, but I’m considering schools in/near NYC (NYU, Barnard and Vassar) and then some Pennsylvania schools like Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore and Carnegie Mellon. And then Oberlin and Kenyon in Ohio, but I don’t know if that’s considered “northern” or not. (Also I moved to NC from Missouri before middle school, so the lack of Bojangles and sweet tea won’t bother me).</p>
<p><em>googles bojangles</em></p>
<p>Oh, the weather isn’t SO bad- it seems to be getting more extreme every year though (I blame global warming)</p>
<p>The main thing you have to get used to, in terms of temperature, is having cold legs a lot of the time.</p>
<p>You will want to obtain a warm winter jacket and plenty of hats and gloves. You’ll probably also buy winter boots, but you won’t wear them very often. This gear will keep all of you warm except your legs. You could, theoretically, wear winter underwear under your jeans, but you won’t want to do that because then you would be too hot when you go into a building. So instead, you will have to resign yourself to cold legs.</p>
<p>Does wearing tights or leggings under your jeans help? Or switching to cords in the winter?</p>
<p>No idea about leggings under jeans, but I second the vote on boots. My son went from the DC area to Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh for college and loved everything except the weather. I tried to get him some boots and he was dismissive of the idea. Came home after freshman year and announced that he needed Timberland boots. When I reminded him that I had suggested these, he confessed that he thought I meant those pull on rubber things that usually have Mickey Mouse and such on them. Buy good boots- not fashion boots. The snow is icy and you need something you can actually walk in. Other than boots and a heavy coat (and gloves and a hat) the only other winter specific things he needed were for the car. If you are going to take a car, then you need lots of things and practice driving in the snow.</p>
<p>Yes, tights under jeans helps lots, but again you might be hot in buildings. I wear cords or lined wool pants if it’s really cold, but jeans 90% of the time. Boots are a great idea - both pretty ones (which are great for keeping legs warm when it’s not snowy) and snow boots. A good jacket is a huge help as is being willing to wear a hat and gloves. My boys (we’re north of the city) never wear more than a fleece, but they are crazy. All I can say in that my sister-in-law (from Sarasota, FL) now lives in NH and has embraced winter sports with a vengence!</p>
<p>Thanks! The only colleges I’m looking at that aren’t in really cold regions are UNC-Chapel Hill and Georgetown, so I’ll probably end up somewhere with intense winters!</p>
<p>Much of the Pacific Northwest doesn’t really have intense winters. My DD2 goes to school in Portland. She is borrowing a ski jacket from the school for a trip because she doesn’t need one out there. And YMMV depending on where the schools are located.</p>
<p>Philadelphia does not have intense winters. 
</p>
<p>Generally speaking, you can dress appropriately for the winter and you’ll be all set. If your torso, head and hands are warm, you will be fine. If you went significantly farther north, say Maine, you might find that it gets dark earlier in the winter than you find it easy to tolerate. I grew up in CT, although I also lived in Europe and Chicago, and now live in ME. The fact that it is dark at 4:30 and starts feeling like evening at 2:30 in December/Jan is probably the single most difficult thing to cope with. (You would find this if you went to live in Scotland, too. On the other hand, in both places in June it is still light at 9 PM. )</p>
<p>my kids, especially S, likes mitten gloves. It is gloves with the fingers from the top knuckle up cut off, then a flap goes over and velcros and they look like mittens. Your fingers stay warm but then you can free your fingers without taking off the whole mitten if you need to tie your shoes or something.</p>
<p>boots - trust me, get some fake uggs. :)</p>
<p>Wait to buy winter wear until you are on campus. You will not need it until after Thanksgiving at the earliest, or even after winter break. You can then find out what the norm is on your campus and buy locally where the appropriate weight coats et al are sold. Not all hats, gloves and coats are equally insulated. The best selection and sales will be in the fall and around Christmas. The “heavy” “winter” coat you find in the south may be more fall wear in some places and very inadequate for your school. The locals will clue you in in plenty of time to buy what you need.</p>
<p>From what it sounds like, most of the winter in PA and NY will be similar to the weather you have having today–how are you dressed today?</p>
<p>As someone who was born and raised in Mass., I don’t think the winters in NYC (upstate NY is a different story) or PA are that bad but you might think they are coming from further south. I also operate a dog walking service so am out in all kinds of weather. Am a firm believer in coats from Lands’ End and L.L. Bean’s. Also, Bean’s makes flannel lined jeans. Good boots are a must, not only warm but waterproof. The socks in the boots are important too. If you are going to be out for any length of time, no socks made from cotton!</p>
<p>@SteveMA
Today I wore jeggings, a sweater and a Northface fleece and I froze. Probably not the best winter wear.</p>
<p>Agree with Marian’s and Mathmom’s comments.</p>
<p>A lot will also depend on the size of the campus and the distances traveled during a day. My campus was large and in a really snowy part of upstate NY. The weather was a shock to this downstate NYer where the water really tempers the winter weather. Lake effect snow is not something we encountered downstate. </p>
<p>Some sort of glove or mitten that allows the student to text as just watched a little video clip yesterday of students texting while walking through blinding snow.</p>
<p>Boots, a coat with a hood (one less thing to lose), a scarf (or several, as they may go missing) and warm, sturdy boots, if expecting to trudge through snow. I lived in NYC for eight years and wore true snow boots maybe twice, but I wore them for weeks on end in college.</p>
<p>I’ll throw in my two cents as a NYC native who went to Oberlin.</p>
<p>Oberlin winters can get VERY cold and snowy. Heh, there was at least one year when it snowed close to a foot right after Spring Break. You’ll really need to get some winter clothes, learn to dress in layers, and get some boots for the snow/ice/slush. </p>
<p>While YMMV, the cold weather also seemed to set in earlier at Oberlin and end later than it did in NYC. While I wore my heavy winter coat for months at Oberlin, I’ve had years when I never bothered to unpack it during winters in NYC because it just didn’t feel THAT COLD (talking low 20s and below). During those relatively warm winters, my leather jacket with a light sweater and shirt were fine for the weather. </p>
<p>Also, while boots are necessary, you won’t be using them nearly as often in NYC due to the relatively warmer weather and the fact the streets around Barnard and NYU tend to be shoveled quickly. Incidentally, I have not worn boots yet this year and despite some snow this afternoon/evening, I got by fine on sneakers. </p>
<p>Then again, YMMV as my tolerance for cold weather may be higher than yours due to having grown up in NYC/NE. </p>
<p>If in doubt, you can’t go wrong by preparing for NYC winter weather as you’d prepare for Oberlin’s.</p>
<p>Layers. It’s all about layers. My daughter is a sophomore at Barnard. She grew up in East Tennessee, where I am this instant. Adapting to the NYC weather has been a non-issue. And if it gets REALLY cold or nasty out, Barnard’s buildings are connected by a series of tunnels…</p>