What to expect from Dutch winter
You’ll know that winter is knocking on your doorstep once the days become grey, short, and cold. One day you’ll be enjoying your day, sky as blue and bright as gold, wearing a trench coat and some light outerwear. The next day will be gloomy, with the winds howling like wolves pushing against your bike, and rain splattering against the ground like the rapid crescendo of a drum. Average temperatures will range about 3 degrees Celsius, sometimes dropping down to below zero once the sun is down. The number of sun-hours will also decrease: an average day during the winter is around 8 hours, where in the summer the sun rose early and set well into the evening, close to midnight.
Next are tips on how to actually survive the winter.
1. Learn how to layer your clothes
Layering is simple: wear enough to stay warm without feeling restricted. Since you'll mostly be indoors, choose clothes that are easy to remove, saving heavier jackets for outdoor commutes.
Start with thermal underwear or long johns, which provide warmth both outside and indoors. For pants, choose ones that can handle getting wet, like jeans or trainers. For the upper body, wear a thermal undershirt, then layer with something presentable, like a shirt, hoodie, turtleneck, or wool sweater. For the outer layer, a thick winter jacket, such as a puffer, is ideal. A quality jacket, like a heavy mountain jacket, is a worthwhile investment – sometimes, they can be lifetime purchases.
Beyond this, it's up to preference. I prefer jackets with hoods to protect my ears, but earmuffs work too. Scarves are both stylish and functional for extra warmth, and good gloves are crucial for biking in cold weather. While I don’t use specialized shoes (probably why my shoes look horrible after every winter), consider rain or winter boots if you want better protection. Some friends recommend rain pants, which are useful for keeping your lap dry in heavy rain.
2. Stay social
Don’t trap yourself in your room or accommodation: winter blues are definitely a thing and can cause seasonal depression. Make sure that you’re out with people you’re comfortable with whenever you feel like you’re getting cooped up with yourself. Remember to take care of yourself: exercise, go to the gym, eat healthy, and get enough rest. You probably need more rest during the winter than outside of it.
If you’re part of a club or study association, make sure you hang out with them and do activities together. If you prefer hanging out with friends, then consider wintery activities like ice skating or making s’mores. You can watch Christmas-y movies and play board games. If you don’t feel like interacting with other people, just keep yourself busy. You can take it as the perfect time to cozy up your room: warm up a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, light some candles, and take up a book.
3. Stay on campus as much as possible
This is more of a personal tip, but if you’re finding it hard to stay upbeat at home, consider spending your workdays on campus. The campus of the University of Twente looks beautiful with a blanket of snow over it, almost serene – that’s if you’re lucky, if the snow ever comes. Regardless, staying on campus forces me to get my work done, because what else am I going to do? Talking to friends notwithstanding, of course.
4. Get as much sunlight as possible
Some cases of winter blues can really just be a lack of vitamin D. That’s why, whenever the sun breaks out, go for a walk and bask in the sunlight (if you’re free and it’s not raining). Aside from that, you can take vitamin D supplements to help you if you’re really feeling gloomy. I’ve also found that having a warm, orange light in my room (as opposed to a harsh yellow or white one) really helps substitute the lost sunlight. SAD (seasonal active disorder) lamps also exist, but that’s up to you to get them or not.
5. Embrace the cold
Once you’re free from your exams, take the time to do some wintery activities with friends, as mentioned before. This can be anything: from going to Christmas markets to Secret Santa with your people. The winter months are the perfect time to bake and try new, cosy recipes, such as Dutch stamppots, shepherd’s pies, apple tarts, and all kinds of dishes. Gather around a fireplace if you happen to find one and enjoy the moment with friends around you – friends, friends, friends. That’s really all that helped me get through what would have been an unimaginably lonely first winter.
I surrounded myself with good, fun people, and had a blast getting through the cold with them. Really embrace the concept of winter, and the concept of the Dutch word gezellig - which you can read more about in this article. When I think of the word, I get this vivid image in my mind: huddled around a fireplace with friends, with hot chocolate and sweets and good food nearby, and we’re just talking and laughing. The winter is the perfect time for gezelligheid, even when it doesn’t seem so at first: you just have to find your people, and an activity that suits you.
