Experiencing Winter While Away at College

To everyone’s surprise, or at least to my surprise, not being from the area, winter is upon us in Rochester. We had our first snow of the semester earlier this November, and it has all eyes on the upcoming season, so here are a few things that I’m doing to survive the harsh winter:

1. Going to Swag events! As criminal justice majors, we have a lot of swag, thanks to our directors and professors. They gave out hoodies, hats, gloves, and a few sweet treats! It helps you build connections with your professors, and the swag is all high-quality and made to last, so you’ll stay warm throughout your time at RIT!
2. Taking advantage of our Tunnel system! You can go from the Campus Connect Center to Global Village without going outside. On the freshman dorm side, you can go to the Corner Store, Laundry Rooms, the (underground) Gym, and Gracie's Dining Hall without going outside, since each building is connected. It saves you a bit of time and keeps you warm!  
3. Taking advantage of our bus system! As a car user, driving on ice and snow scares me a little, but RIT students are lucky to have a robust system that takes care of that! The buses will take you to major shopping centers like Walmart and Eastview Mall on the weekends, and can also drop you off at your closest dorm station, so you won’t need to walk or drive too far. And the best part? Our buses are free and have a tracking system, so you will save on gas expenses and time waiting for your car to heat up. 
4. Just having fun! College Activities Board (CAB) has a ton of winter fun planned, and beyond that, there are winter markets in the city, and each college has various activities that they would love to see you at. It brings a warmth, whereas in Rochester it gets very cold. There is so much that I’m excited about and ready to explore, so as the snow falls, the more activities you need to go to!

Overall, as a first-year student at RIT, I’m so excited to see more of this season. After all, this is what I knew Rochester would be. These are a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way, but there’s still so much to learn and experience. I hope I pass on my excitement to all of you, future tigers!