<p>@Charliesch: That would be pretty much impossible to do unless you start aligning the school year by a lunar calendar instead of a solar calendar.</p>
<p>^@Charliesch I’d have to agree with your assessment of the weather in upstate NY. The most depressing years in my life were the years I lived halfway between Buffalo and Erie. Of course, that was later than my college years, at a time when I had a baby and 2 other young kids and lived a mile back a dirt road. We had 300 inches of snow the first year (snowed every day for 2 months straight) and ice that covered the roads for over a month the second year. Of course, the living situation would be a lot different for college students, and many people aren’t as affected by climate and lack of sunshine as I am.</p>
<p>If you have to live somewhere with a lot of snow, a campus isn’t the worst place. The paths get shoveled immediately, and not by the students! I went to college in upstate NY and the snow didn’t bother me until I moved off-campus junior year and had to remove the snow from my car almost every morning from November through March.</p>
<p>Snow can be fun.</p>
<p>The last data I saw showed that the snow capital of the northeast had moved from Buffalo east to Syracuse and the Adirondacks. By sheer coincidence, the Syracuse area has the lowest cost housing in the northeast. </p>
<p>Personally, the first 2 snow storms are lots of fun. The 10th storm is not.</p>
<p>I love snow. I hate ice.</p>
<p>@charliesch, some of the California state schools did change their academic calendar this year with the first day of school starting on October 2 due to the Jewish holidays. It was hard for a lot of the students to see their friends starting schools in August while they had to wait until October 2.</p>
<p>I also wonder what it will be like when the high school friends get together for the first time. I’m sure there is going to be a big discussion about the Greek system. Before this year it was only general talk, now the kids have actual experiences, or at least more specific information (some are Greek aficionados, others are not.) And @beth’s mom, it didn’t dawn on me until I read your post that I probably won’t see the high school friends for much longer. I’ll make sure to appreciate them over winter break. They really were a big part of our lives the past four years.</p>
<p>Snow is fun unless your car is 6 feet under and you have to go to work.</p>
<p>“The last data I saw showed that the snow capital of the northeast had moved from Buffalo east to Syracuse and the Adirondacks. By sheer coincidence, the Syracuse area has the lowest cost housing in the northeast”</p>
<p>I lived in Syracuse in the early 70’s and again in the mid to late 80’s. I think Buffalo gets bigger one time snowfalls but it snows every day in Syracuse - couple of inches - and by the end of the season there will be 125" on the ground. Also, the sun never shines there. </p>
<p>I live in eastern NY now and it’s much different. We get snow from nor’easters but other than that it just cold. It’s also much sunnier here than in Syracuse. Not nearly as depressing. </p>
<p>Not going to work–at least by car–is a perk of college life usually discussed here…</p>