It has been freezing in Columbia recently. Temperatures in Columbia and all over the country are extremely low and don’t seem to be rising any time soon. It’s a miserable time for all of us, but we can use this terrible weather and our frozen hands to our advantage here at MU.

When the weather is bad, people tend to stay in the house and relax. Some might even stop doing the work that they should be doing because it’s just too cold and they can’t focus on what is important. A lot of people think that bad weather causes us to be unproductive, but Harvard University researchers have found that to be untrue.

According to [Harvard’s research](http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jooajulialee/files/jap_final_rainmakers_2014-01192-001.pdf), we are more likely to get our work done when the weather is bad, meaning rainy, icy, too hot or too cold to be enjoyed. The extremely in-depth research shows how examiners used sources and information to prove that the general population is more productive when the weather is bad.

So how do students at MU use this and apply it to our own cold lives? We start by actually using this weather to our advantage. It’s a busy time of the semester with more than just classes picking up the pace. There are tons of events happening weekly and it’s hard to keep up with it all.

When it’s eight degrees, no one wants to be outside. So don’t go there. Stay in and do some homework. There is always a due date in the back of your mind anyway. Use the weather and your free time to get caught up or ahead of the game in your classes.

**Drink tea.** Tea is really the best drink after water. The list goes on and on how tea is better than your other fattening, sugary, expensive-because-of-the-name drinks. Tea is a great way to warm up and heighten your energy levels and brain activity. It hydrates you and fights free radicals, which are not good for you.

**Dress warm for campus.** Layers are actually in now and it looks cool when you have on thick knit socks and scarves. Beanies are nice and almost all gloves sold anywhere are touchscreen-friendly, so you can still text while keeping your fingers toasty.

Since it’s so cold out, you’ll probably be inside most of the time you’re on campus and this time should be used effectively. Plan out your gaps in between classes and get some work done in the MU Student Center or Ellis Library while staying warm and fighting off the sniffles.

Outside of academics, the winter is also a great time to get physical and fit. You can do in-home exercises as well as sign up for fitness classes in order to get your body where you want it to be before spring finally creeps around the corner.

Make these miserable temperatures and all the snow that is slowly (very slowly) melting away an inspiration for you. Invest all of the time you have in your studies and an overall healthy lifestyle. Winter seems to go by very slowly, but when you have a plan and goals that you have set, the time will fly by. Snowflakes and below-zero temperatures should mean more work being done, not more seasons of shows on Netflix being watched.

Use the weather to secure your grades and healthy lifestyle so when spring finally decides to make its long-awaited appearance, you can really enjoy it.