Hi everyone, so I think UMich is almost a well rounded school, less the weather. I was just wondering if anyone could comment more about the weather at UMich? From what I know, winter at Ann Arbor is brutal as it is both long and cold. I’m not particularly concerned about withstanding the cold; I’m more worried about staying healthy instead. I’ve heard that there was a norovirus outbreak last year & consequently lots of paranoia around campus - does that happen frequently, or is it just a one off kind of outbreak? Norovirus is nasty and is like the absolute worst. I’ve OCD and if outbreaks like this happen frequently, I probably shouldn’t choose UMich.
you will be fine, all schools have rumor outbreaks, not just umich. its a very small chance of that happening. and yes they say ann arbor has 2 seasons, summer and winter, winter lasting 9 months, but you get used to the cold and the fact that there are still tons of students who come from socal, texas, and florida says that they still want to go to umich despite the cold
The last two years Ann Arbor has had relatively mild winters. But that’s unusual.
Global warming. I wouldn’t worry. As far as outbreaks go, wash your hands often, be careful, and you’ll be fine.
Weather is a relative thing. If you are coming to Ann Arbor from the Northeast or Chicago, the difference in winter weather is not a big deal. If you are coming from Florida or Calif, Michigan will seem like the North Pole from December through March.
Bingo dtrain on weather being relative to what you are use to. But unless you are extremely adverse to the cold, I wouldn’t call it brutal; it’s not the North Pole.
Agree, and some people who grew up in warm weather areas like the change of seasons, snowy winters, etc for four years of college.
Dormitory living ANYWHERE is conducive to outbreaks. Yes, there was a norovirus outbreak last year, and my daughter’s dorm was hit the worst. It wasn’t pretty. But it had nothing at all to do with Michigan. It can happen anywhere. Even in your HS.
Make sure you are fully vaccinated before you go to college. This should include the vaccine for meningitis B in addition to the usual meningitis conjugate vaccine. Get the quadrivalent influenza vaccine every year, early in flu season. Do not share cups or utensils. Wash your hands a lot. It’s a dorm. Bacteria and viruses spread quickly.
I moved from Texas to Ann Arbor 18 years ago and had no problem adapting to the weather. It is actually getting warmer and warmer in recent years. We have less snow than Boston for several years.
Get treatment for your OCD. Dense populations of people from all over the world…will have viruses. You could live off campus to decrease risk. Get your flu shot. My kid was very sick with flu one out of three years so far. It happens.
I grew up in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi summers make Arizona summers seem nice and cool. I attended Michigan from 1992-1996. I found Michigan winters perfectly manageable, and the 1992 and 1993 winters were among the coldest on record. Get a good cashmere or down coat, a good sweater, a good hat (preferably one that covers your ears), and good rubber-soled boots. All of those items need to be water proof. You will be fine.