Sarah Bernick

As the seasons change, so do the wardrobes of students on campus. Shorts and skirts turn to jeans and sweatpants, t-shirts and tank tops become sweaters and coats. While some have become accustomed to these transitions throughout years living in the Midwest, others are faced with more difficulty in adjusting.

While the transition to the fall season typically consists of 60 to 70 degree temperatures, Iowa’s typical unpredictable weather has taken many students for a loop. Students across campus, especially those from outside of the Midwest, have found that adjusting to the weather has been a challenge on its own. 

Madison Royer, a freshman studying horticulture from Arizona, shared that the typical weather is usually about 100 degrees five months of the year, so coming to Iowa was an extreme transition. 

“I expected [Ames] to be very cold so I prepared myself a little bit for what I would experience, but I also didn’t expect it to be so random,” Royer said. “The switch from summer to fall was very sudden, but so far I’m loving it.” 

Although there are recommendations on how to prepare for Iowa weather, it often takes experience living in the state to truly understand the varied temperatures that occur throughout the seasons. 

 “I was not prepared for a flip of warm to cold weather in regards to clothing,” Mikayla Paek, a sophomore studying interior design, said. “I didn’t really have a lot of clothing that would keep me as warm as I needed.” 

Raised in California, Paek shared that one of the hardest adjustments included deciding what to bring and which clothes she should buy. Paek had bought one coat and a pair of snow boots to start off, but soon learned it was going to take more than a few items.   

“One jacket just wasn’t enough. I also still need to purchase a puffer jacket that is a little longer to keep my legs warm,” Paek said. “Most of my closet now is full of big, warm clothing items.” 

Royer shared the adjustment to weather was something she had to prepare for before coming to Iowa. 

“I have been stocking up on warm clothes since I decided to come to Iowa State,” Royer said.  “I knew my wardrobe from back home was not going to cut it because I didn’t even own a winter coat and had about one rain jacket, so I figured I needed to stock up a little bit more.”

Iowa weather can throw people for the loop, so it’s important to simply expect the unexpected.

“Iowa is just difficult to adjust to because it changes from like 80 to 40 degrees in a matter of a day or two,” Jake Terpins, a sophomore studying kinesiology and health, said. 

Adriana Drossos, a junior studying communication studies, shared that being raised in Illinois and then moving to Arizona before being at Iowa State has taken her on a weather roller coaster.

“I would say the biggest adjustment from being out of state is the Iowa wind,” Drossos said.  “There is truly nothing I’ve ever experienced like it.”  

It is not uncommon to have a conjoined season in Iowa, experiencing fall and winter simultaneously or summer and fall together. The mix of temperatures creates a necessity for a regular check on weather predictions each day. 

Grace Starr, a sophomore studying graphic design from South Dakota, shared that she has learned to check the weather every morning, simply making sure it is not going to randomly snow. 

“In terms of wardrobe I feel like you have to have a lot of clothes if you live in the Midwest,” Starr said. “There’s a lot of variety and you have to be prepared for that.”