Winter Fun

The winter term can be a dark time at Carleton, with little sunlight and extremely low temperatures. It’s always important to find ways to stay active and positive throughout the term. Here are some things that I have found helpful.

Get physical: It’s really easy to remain inside all winter term, especially if you live in the complex. I stay active in the winter by playing frisbee three to four times a week, and a lot of others use the rec to exercise regularly. There’s also intramural sports, the most popular of which is broomball, a Carleton classic.Set a sleep schedule: I’m trying something new this term. I’ve set a bedtime for myself that I aim for every night, regardless of how much work I have left (I have plenty of time in the morning for unfinished work). This allows me to get a good amount of sleep and wake up early, ready to work for the day.

Spend time with friends: It’s just as easy to isolate yourself as it is to stay inside for a full weekend. Spending time with friends is a good way to mend seasonal affective disorder during a long winter. This doesn’t mean you have to go to parties every weekend — make hot chocolate with people on your floor or go to the libe to study in a group setting.

These are just three suggestions that work for me. Everyone works differently and uses different methods to survive winter term. Do what makes you happy!

Jacob is a junior physics major interested in environmental science, which he is currently studying in Costa Rica (along with Spanish, of course). At Carleton, Jacob enjoys going on outings with CANOE, the outdoors club, and playing ultimate frisbee with the Gods of Plastic, Carleton’s Division III men’s ultimate team.