<p>I need someone to discuss the long, cold winters. My D loves St. Olaf, and has been awarded both a merit and music scholarship, so it's become a bit more affordable for us. Her biggest unknown is how she'll handle the weather. We wanted to visit during the winter, but it just hasn't been possible.</p>
<p>We live in Atlanta. This past week temps have been in the 80s. </p>
<p>She spent the past 3 years in Germany, so has some experience with snow. She knows that winters can be long, and daylight can be minimal. But I don't think she has a clue about Minnesota winters.</p>
<p>What do students do to deal with it? Do they tend to huddle inside? Does it get grey and dismal, and does everybody get cabin fever? Does it take 15 minutes extra to get to class because of how many layers of clothing you need to put on?</p>
<p>While the weather is of course very different from Atlanta, it may be better than your D expects. Many winter days are bright and sunny, if cold. Most winters the snow brightens things up. There is less daylight in the winter, but if one gets out and about during the daylight, it's not necessarily a problem. She'll need to put a coat on in the winter, but unless there's a cold snap (which probably will happen a couple of times during the winter), it's not really a big deal. From a little experience in Germany in the winter, I would say that it's warmer and much grayer there than in southern Minnesota. When we visited St. Olaf, we met a student from Atlanta who loves it there.</p>
<p>Winters aren't that bad. I'm a current student, and I survived walking around campus, and even Northfield, in negative degree weather. If you wear enough layers, you begin to forget the cold. Then, after the winter, spring feels tremendous and you're willing to go out in shorts in only 20-30 degree weather! (And some do...) </p>
<p>If your daughter plans on coming here, be sure she has enough warm clothing. I usually wore 3-4 layers (I tend to wear a lot of layers normally) - consisting of a cami, long-sleeved shirt, and a sweater. A good coat is a must! I have a typical "ski" jacket as well as a more "fashionable" button-up coat with good insulation. I also find it necessary to invest in gloves, a hat, and a scarf. </p>
<p>Footwear is something you should also consider. When there is a lot of snow on the ground, we bring out our boots. It's not fun to walk around campus with inadequate shoes...trust me, I've done it. To correct this, I bought a pair of boots from The North Face that are cute, yet are still durable and comfortable to trudge through the snow. I cannot stress enough how important shoe wear is.</p>