(Vladimir Shioshvili, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

by: Blog Club

“Fake spring” is almost a ritual and expectation in these parts. The temperature drops after good days outside and the whiplash that comes with it. We at Blog Club are instead going to help you deal with this phenomenon with 12 easy tips with a simple Blog Club Listicle!

Don’t put away your winter jacket 

The temperature dropping means you need to suit up once again! Being prepared for the winter means you are by default prepared for the drop. Make sure you have not already put up your jackets in storage, they are going to come in handy and its the best way to stop yourself from catching a cold. 

Read a weather app

The best solution is information. In Wisconsin especially, knowing the ‘fake spring’ exists is a great way to prepare for it. Checking whatever weather app you use and being aware of the forecast for the next few days will help you. It is almost a prerequisite for reading the list. 

Stock up on canned food and bottled water

Nobody wants to go outside when the temperatures begin to drop back down to the 20s again. In preparing for this inevitable drop, be sure to not forget about this struggle in the moments of your fake spring freedom. Stocking up on canned food and bottled water to ensure that you are not risking your life by braving the outdoors, or pushing yourself and wasting that extra energy after getting out of your 5pm lecture. Making sure you have enough prepared ahead of time will avoid inconvenient outings, and ensure long term survival. 

Create a playlist 

The snow usually brings on the bouts of seasonal depression once again so creating a playlist to prepare always helps. I personally listen to a lot of folk music during that period to keep me in the same mood as the endless white landscape. I also like a lot of minimalist music to make it so I can focus on smaller aspects of the music I listen to and it helps keep me interested in a period where focus can be really hard to buy. Find the music that works in the winter or maybe even dust off someone of those playlists and give them a renewed light with the comeback of winter. 

Call people close to you

Calling your loved ones is a great way to stay motivated when winter is beating you down after the false comfort and temporary warmth of the fake spring. It is always good to check in and give a status update, and maybe get some words of wisdom and consolidation in the process. 

Have a final comfort meal (i.e One Last fish-fry)

Coming back to the point of keeping your moods up during a time that drains you, preparing for the times to come ahead could mean making or getting a meal that fully nourishes and satisfies you. It could be a long time and especially after this year and the record-setting snowfall, it might be a bit until you can go out for a full refresh of resources. That meal will also bring up the spirits before the refresh of the months before. 

Live fire (but not in a closed space) 

Fire is a symbol of comfort, warmth, and life (something that seems scarce after another random twenty inches of snowfall), and it is a great way to give yourself something to focus on and bask in when the winter seems oppressive.  It is also a great way to get yourself motivated to go outside when it would otherwise be far too cold or unsafe. It also creates an opportunity for possible memorable bonding experience with those close to you.

Working terrestrial radio (real radio might not be open anymore)

Now, hold on. I get this might be a jump. However, student radio is a wonderful place that might not be fully accessible with all the snow outside. How else are you going to tell people that you (and only you) think that One Battle After Another might not be all that as a movie? Learning how to work a terrestrial radio system might help you communicate with all of your fellow radio folk who might not be able to leave due to the snow!!!

Evacuation Protocol in densely populated areas

The winter might be taking over even in March. We might need to practice our protocol during this inevitable danger. Learn it, the locations and all. Our community needs to be together during the snow. 

Buy a generator 

Buying a generator ahead of time will make sure you are prepared for anything! The last thing you want is to not be able to find your way at night, or to be left without reliable heat. 

Fortify your bases 

The windows need boarding. The door can’t be opened. The cold can’t take over. We are stronger than the cold. We have to be stronger than the cold 

and finally, 

Be surrounded by those you love whilst the light leaves your eyes

Anyway we hope you enjoy your fake spring and these tips prove useful in these times!!!

(Yes of course this is a joke)