Keeping warm this winter the student way

With Winter on the horizon and temperatures quickly dropping, it’s time for us students to begin cranking up those thermostats to stay cosy during the chilly season.

Unfortunately, central heating and boilers can often be temperamental and unreliable, especially for those with added heating bills, so, what other ways can you keep warm this Winter? The obvious idea would be to put more layers on, which is always a great way to keep you toasty, but don’t forget to cover up your extremities first.

Most heat leaves the body through your hands, feet and head, so get yourself some funky bed socks, gloves, scarves and hats for both indoors and outdoors. These can be found in most stores on the high street or online so you don’t need to blow the bank on mittens. Remember to grab those thick coats and jumpers as well, you can never have enough of them.

A lot of student accommodations and housing will have decent heating, but even that may not be enough to warm you up, especially if you’re sat at a desk all day with little movement, it can get cold very fast. What happens when you run out of clothing layers? You layer with blankets and duvets.

A simple blanket can make a world of difference wrapped around your shoulders or placed over your bed at night. Even better is a thick duvet for the Winter season. When you go home next, check all those airing cupboards or ask your family to donate a few extra blankets and duvets, if not, cheap ones can be bought from places like Primark.

If you are lucky enough to have consistently good hot water throughout Winter, take a hot shower or bath to get your core temperature up. It’s also incredibly relaxing to do after being out in the cold. If you don’t have time for that, give yourself some space in your room and do a bit of exercise, whether it’s just running on the spot for a minute or a few star-jumps, you will start to feel the heat before long.

For night-time, don’t forget cosy pj’s, blankets and even hot water bottles. You can grab one of these online really cheaply and all you have to do is boil some water and pop it in the bottle, then you have yourself a make-shift heater to place under your pillow to warm your head or under the cover.

Feeling a little indulgent? Treat yourself to a yummy hot-chocolate, hot tea or a nice cup of coffee to warm your tummy, a quick and fantastic way to heat yourself up from the inside. Soups and broths are also great for this too if you fancy something a bit more savoury.

Lastly, but most expensively, you can purchase small heaters for your room. Either fan heaters or mini radiators, these are really useful for warming up a small space or giving a room some extra heat. They can be bought online at Amazon, although prices tend to vary depending on brand and ability, they are helpful for those particularly harsh days and nights when layers are just not enough.

If you do have any issues with your accommodation or house heating, don’t hesitate to contact the relevant maintenance team to fix the issue. Keeping warm during the cold season benefits you work-wise and health-wise, so you don’t need to simply put up with it.