Have you ever looked up Massachusetts memes?
If you are looking for a good laugh and/or are considering attending college in Massachusetts, you should most definitely look that up. Massachusetts memes will give you a taste of what living in Massachusetts is like, and it will give you a good laugh while you’re at it. There are certain themes that you will find repeated over and over again:
- Our love for Dunkin Donuts
- Potholes everywhere
- Roads are a mess of twists and knots
- Massholes (road rage), and
- Wicked unpredictable, crazy weather
So go ahead and waste an hour looking through Massachusets memes and laughing at the jokes you will fully understand if you decide to join us for college! Come back after you’re done, though, because, after almost four years at Wellesley and 9 years living in the Greater Boston Area, I am finally dedicating a full post to our crazy Boston weather.
The basics: Boston is humid. Boston can get extremely cold in the winter (lowest I can think of is -20°F, but that’s unusual). This weather feels even worse when the wind that seeps into your bones (I am now wondering if the -20°F was with or without windchill). Boston can get very hot in the summer (around 95°F). Generally speaking, most Boston buildings will have heaters, but going from the cozy indoors to the freezing cold and windy outdoors will lead you to overstay your welcome most places you go. Most places do not have AC, which can be painful in the summer. If you are planning to stay in Massachusetts over the summer and your housing has no AC, you will most definitely (100%) have to invest on AC even if all you do in your room is sleep.
If you are moving here, consider investing in a warm coat that will last. I can almost guarantee that you will wear it until it falls apart or you move away, and I am struggling to find a reason you would regret it. Most college students walk a lot moving from one place to the next. The longest distance you might travel within Wellesley (unless you’re going around the lake or taking a walk) is probably 12 minutes. The average is probably 6-8 minutes – more than enough time to cause you physical pain from the cold. Buy a warm, comfortable, stylish (stylish for you, as in you would not mind wearing it every single day, cartoon-style) coat and you are ready to take on the world. I personally walk between 6-10 miles every single day, and I don’t mind doing it as long as I have my coat and scarf. The air is usually very clean and crisp, and I do some really great thinking, brainstorming, and general planning during my walks.
Another thing you might want to invest on is slip-resistant, thick boots. I have a pair of hiking boots that I have used maybe three times for hiking and I otherwise use for daily life to prevent slipping on black ice, frozen snow, or any other snow-related dangers. Again, 100% worth it when they save you from a nasty fall!
“But,” you might be thinking, “what does this even have to do with Massachusetts memes?”
Well, as I mentioned back on the list, one of the things us Massachusetts residents love, love to laugh about, and love to hate on is our crazy weather. But our weather is not only extreme – getting pretty darn hot in the Summer and freezing cold in the winter – it is also unpredictable. I have two more tips for how to deal with this: check the weather every single day. It might have been sunny and warm yesterday, but it is likely it will be snowing, windy, and dark today. Check the weather before getting dressed every single day and you will have no problems. Forget to check, and you will end up carrying a heavy wool coat around in 55°F weather.
Along those lines, dress in layers. Boston weather is not only unpredictable from day to day, it’s unpredictable from hour to hour, minute to minute. It might be windy now, but wait 5 minutes and you will be wishing you could take off the sweater you wore instead of a shirt. Layers are your friends. Embrace them.
Now, I’m a little worried that this post came off more as a cautionary tale than as a general idea of what to expect if you decide to go to college in Massachusetts so I will say it straightforwardly: I love Massachusetts, and part of the reason I love it is the weather. For one, we have seasons. We also get that beautiful fluffy snow that turns any place into a winter wonderland, and the Wellesley campus into a beautiful kingdom I still eye with wonder.
You will probably slip at some point walking along the pavement and drag down a friend with you, and you will probably crack up and remember it fondly for years to come. Or maybe that is just me because I am extremely clumsy, but I remember these things fondly. You will carry your wool scarf on your arms because it’s not cold enough to wear it, then stop at a small shop to buy delicious hot chocolate because it is cold enough to drink it (or do it in the summer, you do you).
How could you miss out?