College Prowler said the winters were brutal, but when you came to visit Northwestern back in high school, the thought of sipping hot cocoa by a fire while reading some fascinating college-y book sounded charming. And you probably came in May. Now you’re stuck in the Bobb lounge dodging stains on the carpet and gazing out at a murky blizzard that never seems to wane. Let’s face it: winters in Evanston are gloomy. It can be disheartening to battle high winds in ankle-length monster coats and send what look like drunk texts thanks to fumble-prone snow gloves. But you don’t have to steal a Zoloft prescription to make it to spring.

It’s easy to cheer up when you know what to do – ignore the sounds of your broken radiator and try the following. If all else fails, at least “LOST” is coming back.

Sit next to a Scarecrow

It’s always awkward shedding your layers in class after braving the wind on Sheridan. After thawing and sitting next to an empty seat, make your parka your friend…literally. Zip it over the chair, wrap your scarf around the collar, put mittens at the end of the sleeves and top it with a hat. You can whisper inside jokes or just smile as everyone else wonders what the hell they’re missing.

Talk to the dining hall staff

Or guys who make your stir-fry at Norris, or the woman who cleans your bathroom. It’s surprising how much you can learn about their lives by just saying “hi” and asking how the day’s going, and it’s a nice feeling to greet people by name when you grab some dinner.

Find Einstein!

Warm, toasty bagels and shmear are the antidote to winter gloom. Lucky south campusers have it made with Einstein Bros. Bagels right on Sherman, but those up north have a widely untapped resource inside the Pancoe Life Sciences building, which you’ve probably never heard of. The haven of bio majors and grad students, the Pancoe Einstein offers a second floor stop off for all kinds of meals, snacks and treats. For non-science majors, it’s fun to mingle with those of another ilk. You’ll feel so accomplished by the time you finally find it you won’t need to do that extra problem set to feel like a champ.

Ride the shuttle, and keep going

Northwestern offers a ton of shuttles around campus, and they’re especially handy when the walk to Tech seems an Antarctic expedition. But where do they go? Take the shuttle for a day — preferably with a friend — and see where it takes you. Watch who gets on and off, and where people go. Yeah, it might be creepy, but it’s free and warm: pretty much all a Northwestern kid needs.

Have a freeze war

Challenge your friends to a game of “What can freeze the fastest?” Each person picks a random food item or beverage (such as sliced cantaloupe vs. a bran muffin, or ginger ale vs. Diet Coke). Place them alongside each other on a porch or window ledge outside and wait for the magic to happen. Leave them out overnight, or check every hour for more exact results. High-stakes betting is encouraged.

Use your vag for good

For those who don’t regularly celebrate the awesomeness of the vagina, here’s a great excuse. This week is Northwestern’s very own V-Week! Observe this would-be holiday by reveling in all things vaginal — do it on your own and then go to free sex talks and workshops all week long. End the festivities right by checking out the Vagina Monologues this Friday and Saturday at the McCormick Tribune Center. Your mama would be proud.

Color like a preschooler

Who says coloring is just for kids? Hit up CVS for a Crayola 4-pack and a cheap themed coloring book (like “Disney Princesses” or “Power Rangers”) and let your Seasonal Affective Disorder melt away. Color like you did in preschool, when your parents were still wondering if it was “just a phase.” Go crazy: use Cadet Blue for Jasmine’s hair and Purple Mountain’s Majesty on the yellow ranger. When you’re finished, tape your creations around the dorm, house or apartment: on the bathroom door, your roommate’s mirror, inside a friend’s laptop, or anywhere else you can find. We came to college to delay the real world, so we’re not really grown up, anyway.

Even though iced-over snow mountains and subzero temperatures suck, your mood doesn’t have to. Go gather up your friends, enjoy the high life and put these tricks in heavy rotation to keep the Evanston cold from chilling your funny bone. Yeah, we just went there.