Cal Shin

If you had asked me three years ago what word I would have used to describe Dartmouth, I would have said, “Outdoorsy.” I imagined that everyone enjoyed camping, hiking, skiing, or pursuing some other adventurous activity outdoors. It’s true that the outdoors is a big part of campus. Most incoming students engage in First-Year Trips as part of their orientation program. While First-Year Trips can consist of more “traditional” outdoor experiences such as cabin camping, canoeing, and hiking, there is a wide variety of trips designed for all experience levels (including no experience at all). There are trips that sleep on campus, trips that sleep in cabins, and trips that sleep completely outside! First-Year Trips can be a fun experience, but it’s totally okay if your involvement with the outdoors mostly ends there. 

For the longest time, I thought that Dartmouth was completely surrounded by the woods, and that’s a bit of an exaggeration. What’s much closer in proximity is a quaint downtown Hanover filled with amazing restaurants, small businesses, and other useful locations—all within walking distance. 

Coming from an area where we might be lucky to get an inch of snow once a year, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about New England winters. While winters here can feel cold, especially if you’re from a warmer place, Dartmouth has plenty of resources so you can be warm while also having fun. We also have some really awesome traditions and activities, such as PE classes on skiing and a campus-wide snowball fight to celebrate the first big snowfall of the term. And the snow can be quite beautiful, as pictured above in the photo my friend, Faith, took. 

The first step to navigating New England winters is dressing for the weather. The Outdoor Programs Office (OPO) offers a comprehensive layering and winter preparedness guide that explains what layering is and how to do it effectively to stay warm and comfortable in the winter. This guide is especially helpful if you’re not familiar with colder winters, as it takes a lot of the guesswork out of preparing for the season. And to help make winter gear more accessible, Dartmouth provides free LL Bean gift cards for low-income students to ensure that they can purchase high-quality clothing. Additionally, the Free Market, Dartmouth’s on-campus thrift store, offers free winter gear (and other clothes) for any student to keep.

The cold temperatures aren’t the only aspects of New England winters to be aware of. The days are much shorter, with the sun setting as early as 4:30 PM. While the relative lack of natural sunlight may take a toll, sun lamps are available on tables in the third and fourth floors of the Berry Library, making them the perfect spot for studying. If you’re more inclined to study in your dorm, Dartmouth has free sun lamps available to borrow at the Baker-Berry Library circulation desk. 

One of my favorite underrated spots on campus is our on-campus greenhouse, located at the Life Sciences Center (LSC). It’s warm, humid, and filled with beautiful plants with vivid, colorful hues! You may find yourself itching to take off your jacket and hoodie as soon as you step inside the greenhouse. 

For students coming from warmer places, winters at Dartmouth may be a bit of an unknown. Don’t worry, you won’t be navigating the season on your own! Many people who have never seen snow leave with their own favorite winter traditions, cozy spots, and a deep appreciation for the season. And who knows, winter may become your new favorite season!