Rutgers Students Torn Over Dynamic Shift in Weather

By: Jillian Reyes

On a cold Monday morning, Amanda Girello is left wrapped in her blankets contemplating whether or not she should get out of bed and brace the cold. 

Just a few days ago, the mornings were relatively warm and sunny with the occasional crisp, fall breeze. Now that November is here, it’s as if Mother Nature is suddenly awake and ready for winter.

“I love fall weather when it’s a little chilly out and all you need is a light jacket, but it’s like we jumped right to winter this year with a few days of fall in between,” said Girello, a Rutgers junior.

By the time November comes around, many students are left struggling through exam season while having to constantly worry about their wardrobe choices. Most days on campus start and end in freezing temperatures, yet reach mild temperatures in the afternoon.

Such unpredictable weather leads to unnecessary stress among students when deciding what to wear since the weather can’t seem to stick to one season.

Girello usually loves the changing of the seasons and appreciates being able to walk around campus admiring the changing colors of the leaves. But lately, she has found herself dreading any time she has to spend outside.

“I usually get stuck walking to work in the freezing cold but by the time I walk back a few hours later I'm sweating because of all the layers I had to put on in the morning,” said Girello.

The same issue stands true even for those who prefer to not roll out of bed for class until the afternoon. In these instances, student tend to run into the opposite issue of dressing for the warmer temperatures when leaving the house and left freezing during their walk back home.

Rutgers junior Victoria Pinard finds the dynamic shifts in weather irritating. Since she grew up with her father in the Air Force, she has lived just about everywhere from Japan to Alaska, so adapting to new weather patterns is nothing new to her.

“This weather here is more of an inconvenience than anything because you need to pack your backpack up with a bunch of layers just to make it through the day without either sweating or freezing,” said Pinard.

While packing layers and worrying about your wardrobe may get annoying, some students actually find the weather this time of year relaxing. It’s finally time for fall fashions to get into full swing and the weather basically invites you treat yourself, according to Rutgers junior Lauren Giammarco.  

Giammarco looks forward to her coffee runs and bundling up in sweaters and scarves when it’s cold out. Thinking about coffee and fashion choices helps to relieve some of the stress that’s built up at this point from midterm season.

“The weather this time of year gets me so excited. It gives you the best excuse to cozy up with a scarf and a hot cup of coffee, regardless of how you spend your time between classes,” said Giammarco.