<p>I know this sounds a little silly.
We are just back from a week in Vermont/MA looking at schools.
We live in GA and my D has always wanted to go north to school.
We get snow here about every two or three years. Then is is usually just for a few days and we all go nuts.
We only have about 3 months of cold weather (lows 30s-40’s with some 20’s)
They rest of the year is mild (or blazing hot)</p>
<p>Most of the kids we saw this week -just had on a good jacket and boots. (few hats and gloves) They looked perfectly comfortable . We were freezing! (at least part of the time)</p>
<p>I’m really surprised they had on boots! My kid was cold weather to cold weather, but his school did have many kids from Cal. and FL. It does take some adjusting, but they do. Layers, layers, layers. The icy, bitter wind is as big (or bigger) problem here–don’t know if that would be as much as concern in the NE.</p>
<p>This was the warmest winter I ever remember. Here’s to that the next four years–both for your D and me :)</p>
<p>A good friend’s son grew up in Arizona and wanted to go North to school. ended up at Northwestern on the very cold, windy shore of Lake Michigan. He loved it. It was an adjustment but it can be done (with a warm coat, gloves, etc.) He even stayed in Chicago after he graduated.</p>
<p>My warm weather (we’re not quite as warm as you since we live in the foothills of mountains at 6000+ ft) kid, adapted just fine. She moved from the sunny Southwest to upstate NY. She has a variety of winter jackets (down, fleece, wind/water-proof), warm boots and lots of wool socks (all in very colorful patterns!). Plus her school has a system of underground tunnels between various classroom buildings and the library. Plus classrooms/labs/offices/dorms tend to be overheated in the winter. </p>
<p>While she has grumbled about the cold, what has really bothered her is the gray skies that last from late October thru mid-May. She’s used to more sunshine and she finds the low grey skies oppressive. </p>
<p>But, hey, as I told her when decided to go there—it’s only for 4 years. Which long term isn’t all that long. Besides she finds the falls and springs glorious! Greener and prettier than home. </p>
<p>She wears sweaters a lot and dresses in layers (lessons she’s adapted from her many years of hiking/camping)–and has survived just fine. She’s graduating this spring, however, and cannot wait to move somewhere else. </p>
<p>LOL! Unfortunately, her job is in a city that’s equally far north and right on the shore of a different Great Lake. She’s not going to see a significant change of climate…</p>
<p>My S grew up in HI, went to college in LA & is now living in VA. To many, that’s not very cold, but it IS MUCH COLDER than the prior places he’s lived. So far, he hasn’t complained about the weather. </p>
<p>Niece went from HI to Notre Dame. She was freezing until she got nice warm Uggs and a good warm coat. Brother went to law school in Boston and two other sibs went to Boston as well. Two sibs went to Michigan too, as did my folks. They all adjust if they’re motivated–if they can’t transferring is always an option. None of the above transferred.</p>
<p>I went to SU…and while I’m originally from only about 350 miles south of Syracuse, as someone already noted…the weeks and months of sun-less days can really get to you after a while. Had I known then what I know now I would have put myself on a regimine of VitD…As an adult it really does help keep my moods more stable during the winter months.</p>
<p>We live in south Texas and my son goes to college in Boston! We did have to make an investment in winterizing his wardrobe but he’s done fine with it. I really do think having the right gear makes all the difference.</p>
<p>My sisters and many other friends went from the south to places like Indiana and Wisconsin. It was a big adjustment but they all loved their schools. I should add that the vast majority choose to come back south for their professional lives, but they loved their college years.</p>
<p>I do recommend visiting in the Winter the schools she is most interested in. I visited Indiana and quickly discovered that Winter wasn’t for me and ended up in Texas.</p>
<p>Southern California to the Midwest (2 different kids). Both adjusted, especially once they got all the right clothing. D1 probably minded less. But D2 especially missed the warmth and the sun/light. She insists she’s coming home to CA for grad school. Suits me.</p>
<p>We’re also from sunny south Orange CA and my D also goes to school in Boston. The only time I heard her really complain was 3 years ago when she said waiting for the shuttle bus in Winter at her off-campus dorm at BC was pretty cold, made even worse because she was wearing Rainbow sandals!</p>
<p>Most kids (and adults) just shift their activities to more inside, less outside, except for play and getting to classes or meals. There was a fine old thread about what to wear up north- UGGs and Northface seemed to be the routine. My kids live in sweatshirts. Even wear them to bed if they feel like it. (In our experience, dorms are warm.) It’s really only a tough cold for a couple of months. Even so, some winter days are beautiful, bright and clear. And then comes spring.</p>
<p>There is an acclimation process that happens each year even for the seasoned cold weather people. Temps gradually cool down so your body has time to adjust. When you are thrust suddenly into the cold temps, it feels a lot colder than it really is. </p>
<p>Now, were the kids wearing the big, puffy Northface jackets or just the thin fleece ones? As for the boots, if they were Uggs, that was more of a fashion statement than a necessity. There are kids that wear Uggs with shorts, in the summer??</p>
<p>We had many kids from Caribbean countries at the school I attended. October usually found them in full length down coats, hats, mittens, etc. while the rest of us just put a sweatshirt on over our t-shirt and shorts. By mid-Feb, they had adjusted.</p>
<p>Son born in the Rio Grande Valley and grew up in the Mediterranean and went to school in Wisconsin and Michigan. He loved the change in weather! I don’t think weather is a big deal for young people.</p>
<p>We’re from the Washington, DC area. One of my kids went to college in upstate NY and spent the summers in DC. It should have been the other way around. The weather didn’t bother her much, but she didn’t have to drive at college, and she had no experience driving in snow at home because she didn’t get her license until near the end of high school.</p>
<p>If your warm weather kid anticipates needing to drive in a snowy area, there could be issues. Some additional driving lessons while at college might help.</p>
<p>My son went from Southern California to Pennsylvania and is doing okay. He has only worn the winter jacket we got him a few times. The part he really hates is the ice and trying to walk around the school when it’s that way. He does hope to come back to California for grad school but we’ll see what happens. My sister on the other hand could only stick out a year in Massachusetts before transferring back to California.</p>
<p>It just depends on the kid. One I know quit school and came home–school was too far away and too cold (just too big an adjustment on all fronts).
Own D (no longer a student) moved to cold climate and adjusted nicely–thinks it’s fun.
Her roomie hates the cold and would bolt south in a minute if given the chance.
I would hate it–not because of the cold (think I would adjust) but because of the gray. I miss blue skies after 2 days. too depressing.</p>