After sporting flip-flops and tans at home over winter break, first-year students from Florida and other sunny locales are adjusting to Charlottesville's unpredictable chilliness, unsure what to expect from their first real winter.
Warily they slip on overcoats and snow boots, jumping into a semi-winter wonderland, developing a new appreciation for hot chocolate in the midst of sun withdrawal.
Miami native Gabrielle Chamorro, a first-year College student, is having a rough time adjusting to the sometimes unpredictable weather.
"I am used to wearing bright colors all year round like we do in Miami, but here you wear the same jacket every day," Chamorro said.
Students from tropical locations - tropical compared to Charlottesville - might be disappointed to learn their halter tops and Hawaiian shirts just won't cut it in a colder environment.
Those venturing to the University from non-winter climates often are ill prepared for what lies ahead. Chamorro's Nicaraguan cousin Mariandrea, for example, had to revamp her wardrobe before arriving in Charlottesville and having her first taste of snow this weekend.
"Coming to school was the first time that I had to buy so many sweaters," Mariandrea said. "But we wear jeans a lot, so I did not have to buy that much stuff, but before coming here I only owned two sweaters."
With the ever-changing weather conditions, sun, rain and snow gear all might be necessary on the same day. Layering, removal of layers and re-layering are the keys to surviving Charlottesville's schizophrenia.
"You're either trying to cool off or keep yourself warm all the time, and end up getting a lot more colds from the climate. I'm always carrying around lip balm," Gabrielle said.
While the misty sleet froze into drifting snow Saturday evening, most students took the small temperature change in stride. For Mariandrea, however, it was an unusual scene.
"I always pictured myself studying up north and going through all four seasons, but it seems as if it never gets below 33 degrees, never gets to the point of snowing," Mariandrea said. "Saturday was the first time that I saw snow, and it was kind of exciting."
When applying to college, some high schoolers choose to head south for relief from the bitterly cold temperatures, while others migrate north for ski slopes and ice rinks.
"Having gone to boarding school in New Hampshire where I am from, I had to live through long winters in the dorms with other students," first-year College student Julia Thies said. "The short days and the freezing weather make a majority of the students more prone to stress. Winters without a foot of snow on the ground made Virginia more appealing to me."
On the other hand, some view their college experience as a time to see another part of the world, meteorologically speaking.
"I knew that when I applied to college I wanted to live in a different place from Florida, with different weather," said first-year College student Amanda Mopsick from Boca Raton, Fla. "Virginia is neither too hot nor too cold, and since it was a gradual change, it is not freezing. I love the fact that I get a chance to see all four seasons as well."
For some, however, constant sunshine is preferable.
"I can't handle this," said first-year College student Scott Lee from Tampa. "I was running around in shorts and a T-shirt getting a tan a week ago back home in Florida, and now I dread going outside."
Hawaii native Joey Rispoli agreed.
"Even before this Christmas break, when it hit the 50s, everyone was walking around with short sleeves and long pants, while I am wearing corduroys, three shirts and a heavy coat," said Rispoli, a third-year College student. "Now that it is really winter I just succumb to it and practically run to class in order to keep warm."
Rispoli said he was not sure he was ready to leave the warm weather of his birthplace after the semester break.
"After spending a month in the mid-80s, I feel like I am returning to the Ice Age," he said.
Whatever one's perspective on the weather outside, it unfortunately is something that cannot be influenced by opinions or desires. The only way to cope with possibly dramatic and bothersome weather changes is to be prepared.
"The best advice I can give anyone who is experiencing their first winter is just stay warm and keep your head and ears and hands covered," Thies said. "But also, take this new season as an opportunity not to hide from the weather, but to enjoy the changes and new experiences"
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