WARNING before you send your child to an upper Midwest cold weather college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nephew is at Indiana U (Bloomington). It's in central/southern Indiana, so it's not as though it's up by lake effect weather in Gary. It's not too cold, not too grey, and coming from California, he really loves the four seasons. Can't decide which semester to spend abroad next year because he enjoys each different Indiana season so much.

Interestingly, the South was the one part of the country that he wouldn't consider for college.

I guess that shows it's basically just a matter of different strokes for different folks. Even if here on DCUM the prevailing attitude seems to be more like: my way or the highway...

Let us know when he decides to live in the Rust Belt after college.

7 of the 10 worst states to live in are in the southeastern U.S.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is real.

Had a relative who spent 5 years working for Boeing in Seattle. Couldn't deal with the overcast, rainy weather. Quit & moved to a state with lots of sunshine.

Gloomy, overcast, cold weather can be an issue in upstate New York and in much of the state of Maine.

Helps if one is active in outdoor activities such as ice skating, snowskiing, or igloo building.

People appear happier and more fit in warm weather areas.

But, when I was college-age, I just loved brisk, cold weather.

Are you not aware of the obesity epidemic across the south? Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina are all in the top 10 for rates of obesity. None of the upper midwest states are. Three of the healthiest states: Vermont, Washington and Massachusetts. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3603909-here-are-the-most-and-least-healthy-states-in-america/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nephew is at Indiana U (Bloomington). It's in central/southern Indiana, so it's not as though it's up by lake effect weather in Gary. It's not too cold, not too grey, and coming from California, he really loves the four seasons. Can't decide which semester to spend abroad next year because he enjoys each different Indiana season so much.

Interestingly, the South was the one part of the country that he wouldn't consider for college.

I guess that shows it's basically just a matter of different strokes for different folks. Even if here on DCUM the prevailing attitude seems to be more like: my way or the highway...

A teen California boy told his aunt he “loves the four seasons”? Classes end in late April, he isn’t even there for the summer. I think you made this up. If you said he was at Boulder and loved the mountains, sure. But literally middle of nowhere farmlands Indiana when it’s 30 and 40 degrees most of the school year? No, just no. You’re lying.

Most kids probably stick around for the exams in May.

Average high temp for August in Bloomington is 85. Only three months that are below 50 average high temp.

DP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is real.

Had a relative who spent 5 years working for Boeing in Seattle. Couldn't deal with the overcast, rainy weather. Quit & moved to a state with lots of sunshine.

Gloomy, overcast, cold weather can be an issue in upstate New York and in much of the state of Maine.

Helps if one is active in outdoor activities such as ice skating, snowskiing, or igloo building.

People appear happier and more fit in warm weather areas.

But, when I was college-age, I just loved brisk, cold weather.

Are you not aware of the obesity epidemic across the south? Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina are all in the top 10 for rates of obesity. None of the upper midwest states are. Three of the healthiest states: Vermont, Washington and Massachusetts. https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3603909-here-are-the-most-and-least-healthy-states-in-america/

This. The Midwest haters are just making things up to support their narrative now. They need to get a life and enjoy living in their self proclaimed paradises instead of hating on other parts of the country.

[Anonymous]

OP - truly strange post. To each his own, in this vast country of ours. Why would I criticize the climate of one of our great states. Every state has its pros and its cons - and all of them are subjective

[Anonymous]

A teen California boy told his aunt he “loves the four seasons”? Classes end in late April, he isn’t even there for the summer. I think you made this up. If you said he was at Boulder and loved the mountains, sure. But literally middle of nowhere farmlands Indiana when it’s 30 and 40 degrees most of the school year? No, just no. You’re lying.

Ok, stfu and don't call me a liar.

And stop embarrassing yourself. He's a sophomore; the school year starts in early August; Bloomington is surrounded by rolling hills (check a topography map - southern Indiana is different from the northern part); it's an hour's drive from Indianapolis (a metro area of 2 million that's bigger than any southern city outside TX or FL except Atlanta or Charlotte); and the Bloomington climate is a little cooler than Philadelphia and a little warmer than Pittsburgh (neither of which seem to trigger the same sort of cold-weather pearl-clutching on DCUM). And I'm his uncle. So you're wrong on every count.

But even better than all the misinformed speculation is your insistence that someone whose views don't comport with your own must be "lying." That's the problem with this entire 'discussion' -- there are some people who are saying "yeah, this isn't really a factor for me/us" and the South's dubious boosters (honestly, an embarrassment to the South) come back with "well your personal preferences are wrong or a lie." Why don't you do the South's reputation a big favor and just walk away from the keyboard?

[Anonymous]

Share some info on how Nordic nations embrace the cold!

[Anonymous]

It’s one demented poster who keeps starting these anti Midwest threads.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in northern Michigan and was impressed with how much fun people had during the winter. Skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, dance parties, even dog mushing! And saunas.

I think it's possible to make the best of almost anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"OK then, the West can enjoy their earthquakes, deserts, droughts, and lack of water. In fact, maybe we Midwesterners might so generously lend all of the states where stuck up snobs like you live even though you have mocked us for years. Maybe we will even let you move here when it gets too hot in paradise. Maybe, we shall see."

Why do you have nothing better to do than try to convince people that lovely places like Boulder, Santa Fe, Napa, Sedona, Palm Springs, Monterrey, Austin and the Hill Country, Savannah, Asheville, etc... are a miserable as Ann Arbor is right now? We know that you're FOS, so it won't work. There are so many really enjoyable alternatives to spending 5+ months in gray dirty snow and sleet. It's okay that you choose to do so. But it's sad that you need to denigrate those who want a more comfortable way of life. If it's so great there, why do so many of your neighbors leave every winter? Maybe you should move someplace even more harsh, like those people on reality TV shows living in the Canadian hinterlands surviving off the tundra since you like it so much and think it's a sign of your fortitude.

I would take a Michigan winter over a Savannah summer any day of the week. You can bundle up to get warmer. You can only get so naked to cool off.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the South and went to Northwestern. Was it cold? Oh yes. But I absolutely loved it. We played snow football and a guy built an igloo on the lawn.

[Anonymous]

hy do you have nothing better to do than try to convince people that lovely places like Boulder, Santa Fe, Napa, Sedona, Palm Springs, Monterrey, Austin and the Hill Country, Savannah, Asheville, etc... are a miserable as Ann Arbor is right now?

You're on the wrong forum -- this is 'College and Universities' not "Travel Discussion"

If you're trying to make the case for going to school in some place that's warmer than Ann Arbor, suggest you propose places where they have colleges that are even faintly comparable to Ann Arbor in stature -- or have colleges, period.

[Anonymous]

“Why do you have nothing better to do than try to convince people that lovely places like Boulder, Santa Fe, Napa, Sedona, Palm Springs, Monterrey, Austin and the Hill Country, Savannah, Asheville, etc... are a miserable as Ann Arbor is right now?”

Is this a discussion about retirement/working/vacation communities or attending college? None of the places listed about have an elite university attached to it, except for Ann Arbor. And yes, being ranked among the top 25 universities in the world is elite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you rust belt sleuths for tracking down precisely what a rich California gal and her rich mom said about why she dropped out of a Chicago college over winter break many years ago. The mom was lying about it being weather related and Maude was being 100% honest when walking mom’s comments back — the walk back was not PR influenced, it had nothing to do with the viral outrage which characterized her as a spoiled rich California brat. Glad we could clear that up and I’m glad we could expose her mom as a compulsive liar.

What viral outrage? You are truly delusional and making up multiple narratives to support your own in your head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most desirable country in the world to live are the coldest.
Sweden, Norway, Finland
They will be fine.

Cold and dreary are two different things. Skiing in Colorado is often a sunny activity. Living in a location where it is overcast most of the winter can be challenging for many people.

Yeah and Scandinavia is known to be pretty dreary…which was PP’s point: Sweden, etc are dreary places w lots of grey cold days and rain and yet they are consistently rated happiest countries in the world.