One thing to strike fear into any college student who is late: Frost. On. Car. These words can make a college student want to just hide in their room and not go to class. In Estherville, there tend to be some pretty intense winter days. Last year wind chill got down to -55 degrees which is intense for anyone. This can cause panic, but fear not winter survival tips are here to save the day.
The first thing to be warned about if you have to use your car is to get up early and go and start it. One thing that you do not want to be doing is driving down the road with your head out the window because there is frost on your car. Get up 10-15 minutes before needing to leave and start the car. This will help warm it up and get the car’s engine ready to go. According to the company, It Still Runs, car owners should start their vehicles daily when the temperatures are at or below zero. This is for people who have no other choice but to leave their cars outside which is most students who live in the dorms or in off-campus housing.
The second thing college students need to do is pay attention to the Iowa Lakes alert system. This system is to help students on and off-campus know about whether or not school is canceled or delayed. Iowa Lakes partners with Rave Wireless so that students can get first-hand information on delays and cancellations. This is a free service to all Iowa Lakes students and there is a special system for students who live on campus as well. These alerts are critical for students who live on campus as they will let you know when the cafeteria is serving lunch for days that school is canceled. These alerts will also inform students when they need to move their cars out of the parking lot for snow removal. This is very important for all students to have. Go to the Iowa Lakes website and go to the current student’s tab and click on weather alerts to sign up now.
The third thing that college students should have is winter gear. Winter gear is a wide range of items but this includes things such as a winter coat, hats, gloves, scarves, snow pants, winter boots, and extra blankets. These things can be purchased online or at stores such as Bomgarrs or Walmart. Every college student should have these things because when temperatures hit below a certain level it can start to cause frostbite. Last year students experienced feels like temps of -55 degrees which means that frostbite can occur in roughly ten minutes to exposed skin according to the National Weather Service. Wind Chill temperatures are things that students need to be concerned about when having to walk to places such as the cafeteria. Wind Chill is the temperature that it feels like outside when the wind is added to the normal temperature. Having winter gear can help prevent frostbite and make that walk to the dining hall a little more bearable.
The fourth and final thing students should have is the equipment. Having a shovel on hand can come in very useful for students who have jobs on or off-campus and have to get somewhere when school gets canceled. One thing that I remember from living on campus was shoveling out cars that were piled two feet high. In the parking lots the school sends plows to come in and move snow, but the snow piles up behind your car. You need to be able to get out of the parking lot so they can move that snow out so make sure you have a shovel. Another piece of equipment you may want to think of purchasing is ice melt and kitty litter. The ice melt is for right outside your door because that was where the worst of the ice built up for my dorm. The kitty litter is for when you car may need a little extra traction to get out of the snow.
Overall these are just some tips to hopefully help make your winter a little less stressful, but be prepared for the worst. Cars may not start and tires may run low, but the best thing to is keep yourself calm and try and prepare for these things to happen. Unfortunately, it’s just winter’s in Iowa!
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