Packing clothes for life at UW-Green Bay can be difficult, especially when you aren’t used to the cold weather. It seems impossible to choose clothes that accommodate both the snowy winters and warm sunny days on campus. To make your transition to UW-Green Bay easier, here’s a packing list (or what to buy once you arrive) for every weather forecast or activity you’ll experience.
Shoes
- Walking Shoes — You’ll spend a lot of time outside walking to classes, the University Union or your living space, so you’ll want good walking shoes like sneakers to get from place to place.
- Comfortable Sandals — On those beautiful sunny days campus offers, you may want sandals for walking and lounging around.
- Workout/Outdoor Activity Shoes — UW-Green Bay offers outdoor and indoor activities through UREC and the Student Engagement Center. If you’re interested in participating, you will want tennis shoes or hiking boots depending on the activity.
- Boots — In cold weather and snow, boots are ideal for walking because they stick to the ground and keep you warm. The pathways can get icy, so have thick, grippy boots to help you get around safely.
Winter Clothing
- Layers — To stay warm during Green Bay’s below-freezing winter temperatures, bring clothing items like shirts, pants, and socks that can be layered. Layering clothes is like adding an extra blanket to yourself as you navigate outdoors.
- Winter Jacket — A thick winter jacket is a layering essential for winter months.
- Hat, Scarf and Mittens — Your head, neck, and hands are not usually covered by normal clothes, and they’ll get colder than you think! We recommend hats, scarves and mittens for extra coverage of these areas during cold weather.
- Warm Socks — Your feet will get cold during the winter, especially if there’s snow on the ground. In addition to winter boots, wear warm socks to protect your feet.
Comfortable Clothing
- Outside winter months, UW-Green Bay’s weather fluctuates between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so bring what suits you best in these conditions. This may include jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, long-sleeved shirts or shorts.
Clothing Resources
Buying new clothes can be expensive, especially if you’re transitioning to a place with different weather than home. UW-Green Bay offers various resources at no cost for students who need new clothing items.
- Campus Cupboard — The Campus Cupboard (Rose Hall 140) has endless options for winter, leisure or whatever type of clothing you need. It even hosts a Clothing Swap in the University Union with hundreds of items to select from.
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- Career Closet — UW-Green Bay’s Career Closet in the Career Planning & Professional Connections office offers dressier items for professional settings like job interviews.
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Most importantly, college is a time to explore who you are, so choose items that express you when packing. Other than the walking and winter essentials, think of clothes that make you feel good in any scenario, whether sitting in class, hanging out with friends or working out in the Kress Center. Your style is unique to you—be comfortable and confident and show off who you are!
Reese is a senior studying Writing and Applied Arts from De Pere, Wisconsin. She lives off-campus but has worked multiple on-campus jobs as a GBIT Service Desk Analyst, GBIT Endpoint Content Writing intern, and now a Web Writing intern for MUC. Her favorite thing about campus is the beautiful scenery. When she graduates, she wants to be a technical writer or web content writer.