Bridegwater, Va. – Since Bridgewater College is located in what is known as “The Valley,” the wind can be both very cold and very strong during the winter months. Sometimes, basic survival instincts must be taken when walking across campus, as the weather and wind chill can lead to many becoming sick. A small cough may be annoying, but pneumonia is not an option. Here are 3 tips to help fight the mercilessly cold January and February months. 

Find Shelter Quickly

Avoid exposure to the elements as much as possible. If you can cut through a building, do it. Plan the shortest possible route to class and take it. 2-4 minutes can be deducted from your journey by simply paying attention to detail. 

The hike from Wright/Heritage to Memorial Hall is usually a 5-6 minute walk. The usual route taken by most students usually runs around the Carter Center., but finding alternate routes could shorten the walk.  Minimizing exposure to the elements may save you a trip to the pharmacy.

Purchase Winter Apparel 

I consider myself lucky to hail from northern Virginia where the weather sticks to a continuous shuffle of the most extreme kind. In Northern Virginia, March can start off with 2 degree wind chill and within a week, the sun will delightfully warm your vehicle’s seat to 82 degrees. So when those cold, Shenandoah winds come calling, make a smart investment in a winter jacket.

Helly Hansen, a Norwegian sports brand, produces numerous jackets, coats and windbreakers. Popular around the DMV Metropolitan area, they are known for the multiple pockets, slick and superior material quality. A strong winter jacket will temper the winds hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountains that so often terrorize Bridgewater students.

Modern medicine has heightened life expectancy almost double since the Middle ages. 

We no longer are mortally threatened from a common cough. There are many prescriptions to heal our delicate immune systems. But some things should always be kept around, like the Robitussin brand of cough syrup should always be kept in the cabinet.

Cough Syrup

The slow, distasteful cherry flavored liquid is medically designed to enter the body and wreak havoc upon any foreign bacteria. Being the middle child of a nurse, I have fought my fair share of battles avoiding and refusing medicine, but if you value breathing through both nostrils at night, get a bottle from your local pharmacy.

Careful planning, informed consumerism and investments in the health industry will always reap benefits.

With the application of these tips, you may just survive the cruel winter months with your congestion in tact. There is a reason man remains the top of the food chain and we must remember to utilize it. As an old coach used to say, “Work smarter not harder, and zip up your coat.”