Sometimes it's good to conform. No, not by buying a "Michigan Undecided" T-shirt thinking you're being ironic and no, not by wearing leggings under a skirt, tucked into Uggs, for whatever nonsensical reason girls do that. But when it becomes a matter of survival? Join the lemmings off the cliff.

My freshman year I found that in order to fight the negative forty temperatures on my way to class six months out of the year, I had to wear two t-shirts, a fleece, a hoodie and my old winter coat all piled on top of each other. Sophmore year, I figured out why everyone had North Faces: because they're created by God himself to shield us from his vicious elements. Seriously, I'm not a chemist, but whatever space-age material they're made out of has done the impossible feat of making a Michigan winter tolerable. They're a ridiculous amount of money, but it's worth the cost in not losing any limbs to frostbite throughout the year.

Although if you're a guy, and get a fur-lined one, you may be eligible for a free punch in the face.