Rainy Day Essentials

Rainy Day Essentials April showers bring May flowers, right? Well, what about March showers? It is a cloudy, dreary, rainy day here at the University of Illinois, and this weather has me thinking about a few rainy day essentials that every incoming freshman should bring. A good umbrella This one is a must-have, and the reason why is pretty simple. Champaign-Urbana is notoriously windy. Without a good umbrella, you will look like this: A raincoat When I say raincoat, I do not mean a fleece pull-over or a winter coat. Down coats will do you no good in the rain, and a Patagonia quarter zip is not a raincoat.  A raincoat should be lightweight and 100% waterproof. I promise there will be more than one situation where you get caught in the rain, running across campus, soaked to the skin. Without a real raincoat, you will have to sit through class damp and cold. Believe me, I am thankful that my mother made me buy a real raincoat every rainy day. Rain boots I wear my rain boots at least once a week, if not more than that. Investing in a pair of comfortable rain boots will be worth it for any University of Illinois student. It rains a lot here, and walking around with wet socks is simply not ideal.   Photo from Rachel Hernandez These rainy day essentials will definitely be worth the investment. All students at the University of Illinois will want to bring three things with them to campus: a good umbrella, a waterproof raincoat, and rain boots! Go ahead, jump in those puddles! Rachel Class of 2020 I am studying Middle Grades Education with concentrations in Social Sciences and Literacy in the College of Education. Although I now reside in Champaign, I am originally from Vernon Hills, a Northwest suburb of Chicago.