Happy Valley is known for a lot of different things, one of which is its crazy or as us Penn Staters like to call it bi-polar weather. It is important to keep that in mind when doing that beloved back to school shopping. Since you may not have experienced a Penn State weather debacle yet, I am here to help guide you as to some essentials that you will need.

Long winter jacket

The number one piece of clothing that must be purchased in order to survive a Happy Valley winter is a big winter jacket/parka. For girls, this is that opportunity you have been waiting for to get a new winter jacket. If you want to stay warm, I strongly recommend you invest in a long jacket that will cover your legs. When walking 20 min to class that extra length is necessary. For you guys, you are not immune to cold, you will need a jacket. I know my brother has always claimed he could get away with wearing a fleece all year around but

Boy’s winter jacket

here at Penn State that will just not cut it. Invest in a winter jacket and you will be able to brave the cold like a man!

snow boots

Along with the cold, comes snow. Snow boots are a definite must! When I first got here I thought I could survive with just throwing on a pair of Uggs every time it snowed but it took one freak snowstorm on Halloween to prove me wrong.

Boy’s boots

Right after that I ordered a pair of snow boots and now in my senior year I can say they have been a great investment.

I have two words for you: texting gloves. These will keep your hands warm without you having to give up on texting or checking your phone while walking to class. We all know every time you have to check your phone and take your gloves off is a real inconvenience and defeats the purpose of wearing gloves all together. With these handy gloves you can stay warm and stay in touch with friends and family.

texting gloves

rain jacket

Happy Valley is known for a unique weather pattern as I have mentioned. This means rain storms that come out of nowhere. With that being said, it is a great idea to buy a rain jacket. This was the first article of clothing I bought when I decided to come to Penn State, as per my sister’s recommendation. She said you will never know when it will start to rain and with a long walk to class a rain jacket is essential for staying dry.

rain boots

Along the same lines, rain boots are a good investment as well. They even sell fleece inserts so if you want to convert the rain boots into snow boots that is a good cost-cutting solution. Finally, an umbrella. My recommendation would be to get one that all you have to do is press a button to open and close. That makes walking in and out of buildings much easier.

umbrella (with the handy “button to open”)

With these Happy Valley weather-braving essentials, you have no excuse not to make it to class everyday come rain, snow or shine!