How bad it is to live in a very cold place?

[khaled]

I got an admission from a top university in my field and everything about it is great (awesome program, great fit, very strong in my area, cheap, ....etc) 

 

I'm really worried about the cold winter. the school is located in Illinois and I'm from a country where it doesn't snow, AT ALL. 

 

what do u guys think?

[Pretty_Penny]

Wisconsinite here. It's not that bad.

 

As for driving, I've gone in the ditch twice in my life (both times when I was home in a rural area). The most important thing is just to drive slowly! Even people who live here sometimes forget how slippery it can get. Biscuits had a lot of great advice. It might also be good to keep a pair of snow boots in your car, just in case.

[Lamantin]

I think you're asking the wrong question. Instead, "How great is it to live in a very cold place?"

 

The answer: very great. Having distinct seasons and particular activities for those seasons, having the cold weather to nudge you into working rather than going outside, and the wonderful sight of snow are just a few reasons to choose a colder environment. 

 

But, of course, I've lived in Minnesota for a good part of my life. 

[khaled]

Thanks guys. Instead of worrying about the cold winter now I'm excited for the experience !!! 

 

@pears: I won't bring a car but I'm planning to buy one (thinking of a new subaru impreza). it is likely that I'll be there for about 5 years and I want to avoid getting an old car and unexpected maintenance costs. Also, as far as I understood the subarus can be sold easily with good prices in cold places like Illinois (correct me if I'm wrong) so it is going to be worth it.  do u think the new impreza is a good choice?

Edited March 14, 2013 by khaled

[biscuits]

Khaled: I'm not pears - clearly - but I do drive an outback sport. Basically, this is an impreza with the bigger outback engine. Vroom, vroom. We are very happy with it and it does great in the winter weather. I recommend the winter weather package if you can afford it. Heated seats are very comfy, and heated wiper blades/side mirrors come in very handy.

[mallorn]

Oh yes. But the worst is places that manage to be both very cold in winter and very hot and humid in the summer (I'm looking at you, mid-western US). 

 

Hello from the midwest US! I remember the heat hitting me like a wave when I walked out from the airport when I first arrived, only to have it -20C with snow blowing in my face a few months later! 

 

To the OP: As a fellow international student who lived in a tropical country all her life, the thing I found hardest was the variation in temperature when the seasons change- I remember days that were around 18C and then the next few days would be in the single digits, and then it would swing slightly back up again, and so on. My body had a hard time adjusting and I felt awful- be sure to take vitamins and stay well hydrated during these periods. 

 

To add on to the advice about layers, if you have extra time when you arrive and can find your way to an outlet store of say Columbia or TNF or other outdoor brands, do so: I picked up a lot of my winter gear this way at ultra-cheap prices and it has all served me well. If you happen to have relatives or friends in the US  who live near these kinds of stores and you have the means to swing by them before you go to your school's city, take full advantage! 

Edited March 14, 2013 by mallorn

[pears]

khaled: i'm with biscuits; the outback is a great car. my S.O. is probably going to give me his old 90s legacy, which also handles snow and ice surprisingly well, considering it's ancient and little. i don't know how outdoorsy you are, but hatchbacks are a wonderful thing for folks like me. i'm not sure what years have the best upkeep, but you may still want to consider gently used cars, especially ones that already have bike racks or ski racks (again, i don't know how outdoorsy you are, but for me, that'd be a big plus). sadly, i've heard that subarus from 2006 or so onwards have some upkeep issues after a couple of years, so if you're going the new or very-nearly-new subaru route, i'd say check the outback out, too, and see what suits your needs the best.

 

also, REI gear/garage sales are truly amazing things. absolutely worth the extra $20, if you go more than once in your lifetime. i got an osprey pack with a few small holes in it for $200 less than its retail value, a pair of misdyed/faded work pants for $8, and a nanopuff with a burn hole and an easy-to-fix rip for $20 or so. you can find all kinds of great cold weather gear if you show up early.

[abeilles]

Seconding pears. You should be fine if you get a car with all wheel drive and watch the weather reports. Watch out for conditions that may cause black ice, and try to avoid driving until the streets have been plowed. In most cities that are experienced with snow, you should only have to wait overnight (at most) for the streets to clear. Go slow and leave yourself lots of time to stop. If there is a snow storm warning, try to avoid a major commute, especially in the highway. No one wants to be part of the giant traffic jam forced to sleep in their cars.

Other winter car tips: invest in a snow shovel with a metal blade. Keep a smaller one in the car and a normal size one in the house. If you keep your only snow shovel in the car, you will have to dig out your snow-covered car with nothing but your feeble hands. When digging out the car, do not start the engine until the exhaust pipe has been cleared, lest you gas yourself to death. Finally, keep a sack of sand or kitty litter in the trunk during winter months. The gritty stuff can provide traction on icy surfaces when you are trying to escape a driveway/parking spot, and the extra weight in the trunk can help lighter-weight cars from getting stuck while trying to pull out.

 

This is all great advice!

[selecttext]

If you will have a car in a cold climate, for the love of everything sacred, please get winter tires. here in quebec they are mandatory - all seasons here are called "summer tires" and for good reason. it 

[ProfessorChaos]

I grew up in Southern California and have been working in Northern North Dakota for my job the past 3 years.  Believe it or not, you really do get used to it.  It really just makes you appreciate the warmer days rather than being completely miserable in the cold after a while.  I wouldn't reject a good offer from a good program over climate issues.

[Janie M.]

Hey. I have the same exact problem! I also just got accepted to a school in Illinois and am from a relatively warmer climate. I have a few other reservations about the school besides the climate it's located in, but the latter is also a concern I've had.

 

If I didn't happen to have this weird circulation disorder (most likely you don't also have this), I wouldn't be that concerned. I lived in Vermont for over 10 years, which is an extremely cold environment. In fact, I've been doing some research and I've discovered that the area that I lived in while in Vermont is actually colder in the winter than Chicago (where I got accepted). From what I've read, Illinois winters aren't as unbearable as in some other parts of the Midwest. I think that Minnesota is actually a lot colder and if you were going to, say, the Dakotas, I'd say you would definitely have an issue. I don't think it's really as bad as people say it is.

 

However, if you are from a country where it never snows, the snow of the winter here may take some getting used to. You shouldn't not go to school here just because of the weather. Believe me, I'm trying to tell myself the same thing. Also, the "windy city" term used to describe Chicago is actually misleading. This nickname doesn't refer to the weather, but rather to the political frenzy of a certain era in this city. This is what I have read, anyway.

 

Good luck!

[biscuits]

The bit about the windy city is true! The politicians were (are) gasbags. However, the wind still does get pretty fierce in Chicago. Shudder. Chicago doesn't tend to get nearly as much snow as other cities in the region due to the lake, but it does get very, very cold. Hats and glittens and scarves, oh my. By the way: definitely pick up a pair of glittens (fingerless gloves with convertible mittens) if you are moving to a cold climate. This gives you the dexterity of fingers when you need them as well as the warmth of mittens.

[midnight]

I haven't read all of the replies, but I suggest that you invest in wool socks, thermal items for layering, proper winter outer gear (a down-filled or Gore-Tex coat, hat, gloves, scarf or neck gaiter), and some nice waterproof snow boots. If you have those things, you should be OK.

[Kozo]

I'm a student at UIUC and it's definitely not the worst place in the US in terms of being cold. It is typically warmer and less snowy than Chicago because it's further south. Of course it does get cold in the winter and it does snow but we actually have barely gotten snow the past couple years. I second what others said about it being possible to get used to colder weather. I'm from Russia and I hate the cold. My roommate is from India and it doesn't bother her nearly as much. Goes to show where you're from doesn't always make that much of a difference in the long run. Also, as you already know, engineering at UIUC is really great. The facilities and engineering library are pretty much better than what every other department here has going on. So I don't think you'll regret coming here. Definitely buy a long coat, good boots, and something that will cover your ears.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Kozo