What to wear for lectures when you go to uni in the North

When the weather app says 8 degrees and ‘light rain’, you might actually experience freezing wind, horizontal rain, a suspicious amount of mud and temperatures that make you question whether attending your 9am lecture is really worth it.

From someone who has grown up in the North East and chose to attend a university still in the north of England, the weather shocks even me. I feel pity for anyone down south who underestimates how unpredictable and unfortunately grim the northern climate may be. So, here’s my tips for your uni outfits that keep you warm, dry and vaguely presentable.

Coats make you cool, while staying warm

Trust me, I never thought I would be writing an article discussing the importance of wearing a coat after years of my parents begging me to wear one to not catch a cold, but here we are. 

A decent winter coat is not optional when you’re attempting to walk pretty much anywhere outside. Ideally, you want something warm, waterproof and capable of protecting you from wind that appears to have a personal vendetta against you. 

And before anyone says that coats with hoods aren’t cool: they absolutely are. There is definitely nothing uncool about putting your hood up when it’s raining sideways. In fact, there is something considerably less cool about arriving at your lecture looking like you’ve just completed a sponsored swim in the lake by Central Hall. 

Choose something that works with most of your wardrobe so you can throw it on over practically anything. Think of your hood as a portable roof. Why wouldn’t you want one?

Layer like your lecture hall has two seasons

Northern winters can be absolutely freezing outside, while your lecture theatre may feel like someone has accidentally turned the heating up to tropical. This is where layers become essential.

Start with a T-shirt or long sleeved top, add a jumper or hoodie, and then put your coat over the top. That way, when you walk across campus in the abysmal temperatures, you’re protected. Then when you enter a lecture theatre that feels like a greenhouse, you can take a layer off.

Your shoes need to survive 

Northern university campuses involve a lot of walking. Add rain, puddles, mud and the occasional questionable patch of ice, and suddenly your shoes have a lot to deal with.

In my first few weeks at uni I learnt that my ugg boots were cute, cosy and easy to throw on, but they got drenched, tended to easily slip and I couldn’t get anywhere fast. Same with my new shoes I may have gotten over Summer, perhaps don’t wear your brand-new white pair when the forecast looks like it has something against you and you actually want to keep your shoes looking nice. 

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The Northern student emergency kit

Your university bag should probably contain more than just your laptop, half-eaten cereal bar and a water bottle

A winter emergency kit might include: A compact umbrella (bonus points for a plastic sleeve to put the wet umbrella into), gloves, a scarf, lip balm, a portable charger (you never know when a bus could be cancelled and you can’t face the walk home yet so you seek shelter inside for a little bit longer), spare socks (for the genuinely committed people who ignored the last tip). These are all things that you may think are excessive or unnecessarily, but trust me, they will save you more times than you think.

Dressing for the 9am lecture

The 9am lecture presents a particular challenge. It’s dark. It’s cold. You’re tired. You have absolutely no interest in putting together an outfit.

This is where having a few reliable and low effort combinations helps for those mornings where you don’t need any brain power.

Try: Jeans + T-shirt, oversized jumper, puffer coat, trainers or joggers, hoodie, puffer jacket, boots. These two options keep everything warm, comfortable and easy for your early morning commute out into the grim weather. 

The bottom line

Winter at a Northern university such as York can be cold, wet, windy and occasionally miserable, but your mood and your wardrobe doesn’t have to be too. 

Invest in a good coat, embrace layering your wardrobe, choose sensible shoes and keep some winter accessories in your bag. Most importantly, remember that a hood is cool and an umbrella is smart.

Surviving a northern winter isn’t about looking effortlessly cool. It’s about looking effortlessly cool while remaining completely dry.