How To: Cope with the Constant Risk of Hypothermia (ft. Daylight Savings)

The first Sunday of November has come and gone (blown away by the freezing cold gusts, no doubt), and thus begins our annual winter ritual of living as the basement-dwelling Lamonsters in the great state of Massachusetts. That is, when the sun acts like we all do when our psets aren’t due yet: call it a day at 5 p.m. It seems even the hottest thing in our solar system (no, not your age-inappropriate TF crush) has given up on the freezing temperatures here. For those of you whose sections run from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m., you won’t even get to see this phenomenon; all you’ll know is that you went to class in the daytime, and by the time you left that cramped classroom in some random corner of Science Center, it’s pitch black outside and you nearly just broke your neck slipping cartoon-style on that frozen puddle (we’re sorry for your loss). The rest of us aren't so lucky either. How can we be expected to trudge through this coming finals season if the sky is telling our bodies we should be in bed before HUDS even opens the dhalls for dinner? Still, the show must go on. So, sit back, relax, and take a break from your project deliverable as we present our tried-and-true hacks for functioning until March. We’ll wait for you to get those jammies on.

Read some Flyby articles to refresh your brain (shameless plug, not #sponsored).

Nothing like a good laugh to keep you going, right?

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Seclude yourself to some windowless corner of a library with nothing but your favorite noise-canceling headphones, your paper due at 11:59 p.m., and your GPA on the line. If you’re that deeply entrenched, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? At least here, you won’t be reminded of how dark and cold it is outside: Schröedinger’s sunlight. Afterwards, though, definitely come back and take a look at the rest of this article for ideas.

Take a walk along the Charles.

With a friend, with your significant other, with your friend who you wish was your significant other, whatever. We don’t judge. Maybe that’ll motivate you to get out of your dorm and appreciate the beauty of Weeks Bridge and get some fresh air (or just touch grass). Remember what they say: if your bum is numb, your brain is the same. (I don’t remember where I heard this from, but I just Googled it, and apparently, it’s a real phrase).

Call your friends and family from home, preferably those in another timezone.

Either you can feel a sense of community if they’re also suffering with you in this winter doom and gloom, or you can live vicariously through your West Coast friends. I’m more of the latter; my UCSD friend, upon picking up the phone today at 5:48 p.m. EST, greeted me with: “Dude, why is it so dark out there?” Thanks for reminding me… (Fun fact: he proceeded to show me the blindingly bright view of sunny La Jolla from outside his window. Bonus fun fact: I’m now looking for new friends.)

Settle in for a movie night with your roomies.

It’s totally okay to give in to the temptation once in a while. If you just took that crazy midterm given on the last day of class (Chem 17, I’m looking at you), and this is the first evening you’re seeing a glimmer of hope in your life, embrace it. Get that sweet treat, put on your favorite guilty pleasure show, and convince your friends that you have to enjoy life while you can, and that all of the questions on the final are going to be common sense, and they’ll recognize the answers when they see it. You deserve one evening of chasing away the blues. Popcorn, anyone?

Make plans in Boston.

Whether you need to hold each other accountable as you both cozy up in a café on Newbury to lock in together, or you want to go for a night out to one of the seemingly millions of concerts going on recently, remember that the best part of being so close to a city is bursting the bubble to visit said city from time to time. Get a change of scenery, or have plans to look forward to during the week! No matter how poorly your reading period studying is going, we guarantee you’ll make it through with a little reward at the end as encouragement.

While popping Vitamin D supplements and shrugging on that massive puffer you didn’t want to bring is nowhere near as satisfying as swinging in your courtyard hammocks after class, remember that there is still light in your life even if there is none in the sky. Be kind to yourself, and take a few nights here and there to warm up before you’re buried in equal amounts of work and snow. Besides, there’s always something to be said about not having to wake up at ungodly hours anymore to catch a glimpse of the sunrise, right?