<p>What's the weather like? I would love to attend Wellesley (1st choice) but my parents think that I can't handle the cold weather since I'm from So. Cal and I'm anemic and one of the symptoms that I experience is that my body temperature drops faster than normal so it could be 60 degrees and my hand are really cold. For those of you that attend Wellesley or any college in a cold region that are from a hotter environment, how do you cope?
I'm worried cuz my friend went to Cornell for a year and got so sick b/c of the weather and had to come back to Southern Cal.</p>
<p>It's pretty cold right now. I also come from California, and thus have two comforters to stay cozy at night. The cold isn't unbearable, though, it's just cold to and from classes. It didn't really get cold until I came back after winter break, actually. The actual buildings are kept pretty toasty with heaters, though I would definitely get a medical opinion, given your situation.</p>
<p>Wellesley has four seasons including winter. Wellesley's winter is more mild than one somewhere like upstate New York, Colorado Minnesota or the midwest. It was very unusual this year that it did not become as cold as is usually is until mid-January.</p>
<p>I'm from around here so I can't tell you what it's like to go out in weather colder than you've ever felt, but the key to dealing with any sort of cold weather is proper clothing. It hasn't broken freezing at Wellesley in over a week, but some people still don't bother with hats, which is rather dumb of them. I imagine that what you wear in SoCal doesn't change too drastically from January to June, but sweaters, sweatshirts, longsleeved shirts, hats, gloves, scarves, thermal underwear and heavy coats definately have their place in somewhere with seasons. I do a lot of work outside in winter, and I'm not anemic, but I hate being cold and get cold more easily than most people. With the extra clothing, I'm generally fine. Everything you need for Winter can be purchased within walking distance of Wellesley and is is stores by Columbus day, before you desperately need it. If you want to shop around, the movie/mall shuttle takes you to yet more places. Ebay is also a source of cheap winter clothes.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I personally think that W is worth it despite the weather but need to convince my parents that I'll be ok. :)</p>
<p>My D (from SoCal) used to do beautiful unintentional imitations of Napoleon retreating from Moscow any time it dropped below 68 degrees. She's done fine with the Massachusetts winters. As she said grimly when first queried on the subject, "I'll adapt." And she did. Pay attention to your footgear (sneakers won't cut it) and do learn to layer, including, in particular, a hat. Scarf and gloves/mittens of some sort highly recommended.</p>
<p>haha yeah I've been a little nervous about the weather. I'm originally from New York, so I was used to the cold. But now that I've been living in Texas for so long, I've gotten adjusted to the heat.</p>
<p>In in New York and fully planned on getting out of this icebox and applied mostly south, but here I am, applying to Wellesley... I hate the cold but if you really like the school, I think you'll learn to deal with the cold. It's not <em>that</em> bad.</p>
<p>My niece went to Wellesley, and she is also from Southern California. The cold was not particularly fun for her, and it seemed like every winter she'd have one bad, lingering cold. But she absolutely, totally, and completely loved her experience at Wellesley and wouldn't have traded it for anything.</p>
<p>thanks, i'll probably go to the doctors soon to get an evaluation (if i can even get accepted in the first place) but i really really really hope i do (i think that the coldest temp that i've ever been in for a couple of days was 30-40 degrees F)</p>
<p>H, if you go to Wellesley, there will come a time when you brighten up when a 30-40 degree day comes along as being <em>warm</em>. Seriously.</p>
<p>yeah, i've been looking at the weather at wellesley for awhile now but like Hindoo's niece, i hope that if i get accepted and attended I would "completely love her experience at Wellesley and wouldn't trade it for anything"</p>
<p>Well, my D wouldn't trade Smith for anything, so a good experience can make the weather relatively trivial. At least <em>that</em> weather. I start thinking about Cornell or Macalester and I might say, ummmm....</p>
<p>Haberdashery--Your comment about your coldest weather experience being 30-40 degrees made me chuckle. I can so relate. I was raised in a suburb of Los Angeles, so when I moved to Kentucky as a young adult, I was quite taken aback. Snow is not a huge issue here, but the occasional cold snaps with single-digit temperatures and a couple of horrific ice storms just about put me over the edge. I whined and complained so much, I think my husband must have been ready to pack me off back to Southern California--for good! Eventually, I did get used to it, but I still miss those warm winter days! Good luck!</p>
<p>The weather is not particularly difficult to deal with. You will probably be uncomfortable, at least for a while, but many many students at the college are from warm states and manage to get by :)</p>
<p>From my past experiences, the buildings are kept very warm, so layering is absolutely necessary. My SoCal-raised roommate, first year, came up with many solutions for the weather, including a knee-length down-filled coat, more scarves than I could count, gloves + mittens, lots of tea, heavy winter boots, and warm hats. (That year happened to be a very mild winter, but it was still hard for her.)</p>
<p>Long underwear works wonders. I love Cuddl Duds, which you can buy at most any department store. They're lightweight, very soft, comfortable, and easy to care for. In general, good quality winter wear is a sound investment that should last for several years. Wool sweaters (any kind of wool--sheep, alpaca, angora, etc.) might be scratchy and hard to clean (always wear other layers underneath), but they're very warm and breathe well. Zip-up and buttoned cardigans make layering easy. Winter jackets are easy to find and less expensive than their longer counterparts, but you'll be warmer with a coat that goes to your knees or calves. Buy or make a good scarf and not the fashion-accessory version. Uggs are fantastically warm and comfy, but they aren't made for snow or slush--have some sturdy snow boots on hand.</p>
<p>The campus is small enough that you'll rarely be out in the cold long enough to worry about frostbite or hypothermia. Even at -20, it would take around 10 minutes of unprotected exposure for most people, and you would be inside before the time ran up. It only got that cold once while I was there, and that was during January when most students were gone.</p>
<p>Coping with cold weather is a way of life, but it's not a hard one to learn.</p>
<p>thanks ringer, i shall c/p ur advice into my unofficial college survival kit that i'm working on now :) </p>
<p>Hindoo, i'm glad that there's hope that i can adjust to the weather IF i'm accepted, it's a good thing that i didn't apply to any schools in NY</p>
<p>Do you exercise every day? I find I deal with the cold (and with heat) now that I'm really fit.
You might add nutrition and fitness to the questions you explore with professionals.
Massachusetts is gorgeous in the snow (and the rooms most places are a little overheated, to my mind).</p>
<p>i did exercise alot b4 senior year (sad) cuz of XC + track but i started working in the summer so i had to cut off sports</p>
<p>btw, i really want ur username :)</p>
<p>cornell is in upstate new york so it's usually colder than it is here in MA. plus, cornell is in the middle of nowhere. here, there are a couple minutes walk away such as starbucks ;), cvs and clothing stores that sell winter gear. :)</p>