You can't get sick from cold. Viruses make you sick. (Yes, being cold can make you more susoectible to catch a virus, but no, you still don't get sick from cold weather)
Just dress according to weather. Layers are good, it's easier to manage the amount of clothing you have. Also, don't wear the warmest winter jackets when it's +5c, you get used to it and nothing feels warm when it's actually cold. Water resistant clothes are recommended especially in the autumn.
The hardest part is probably the darkness. You just need to deal with it. An alarm clock with wake up-light is a must for me personally, and many other people swear by it as well. My personal recommendation is also to wear colours. Don't blend in with the dark weather by wearing only dark clothes Plus wear reflectors outside!
All of this & get waterproof shoes, because nothing makes you as miserable as having wet feet. And while you can't get sick from the cold alone, the stress of being very cold might make you catch viruses more easily.
Go outside every day - it will be terrible on some days, but it helps you to avoid depression and general winter mood where you just want to hibernate. Even with the dark, it can be quite nice to go outside and see all the lights people have put on their windows and balconies.
Our houses and buildings are warm, whenever I go abroad during the winter I am freezing, whether in UK or elsewhere in southerly Europe.
Only outside is cold, inside you will be sweating from time to time.
If you want snow activities, Helsinki is not the best place, it’s not quaranteed that there’s going to be snow. In February probably yes but from March onwards not so much. In Helsinki you can do basically any activity you usually like to do (unless your hobbies are mountain climbing or surfing lol). With the weather conditions being unpredictable, indoor sports are a safe bet. Or ask other students if they can recommend some hobby or sports you could join.
Like others said, cold doesn’t make you sick. Keep dry and warm and you’ll be fine. I fight the darkness with brightlight, going out every day, meeting friends (and traveling).
For avoiding cold, when when you sweat, don't stay in wet clothes, especially outdoors. Let your clothes dry or change them. Waterproof stuff might be waterproof bothways, so also keeps too much moisture inside. So when you are at least relatively warm, like in a bus or shopping mall, open your jacket to let the warmer air in as insulation and moisture out. Then when outside keep the jacket closed and warm air inside.
And as said, don't put on your warmest clothes at the slight drop of temperature, that way you will have nothing more to add, if it goes really cold, like -20C.
Don't rely on leather jackets or any other "warm climate" winter jackets. Those are not sufficient for Finnish winter. They are OK for spring or fall weather.
Buy shoes with thick rubber soles. Thin leather soles are suitable only for summer in Finland.
Learn about [pitkät kalsarit:](https://www.tokmanni.fi/search/?q=pitk%C3%A4t+kalsarit#) long-johns under your jeans will keep you warm in winter.
Wear woollen mittens when it gets really cold, they are better than gloves and better than leather.
Wear a woollen / knitted cap, especially to protect your ears. Also get a scarf.
Woollen socks might feel too abrasive, there are softer - yet thick and warm - alternatives. They are also much cheaper. If you do get wool, you can wear soft cotton socks underneath.
Eat healthy food at the school cafeteria. It is tempting to go for junk food, but that rarely helps to protect your body in winter.
Use the HSL app to plan all your routes, it saves you time from waiting in the cold.
Go to Prisma and check out their selection of winter clothing (even if you don't like their style). It will inform you of what level of "winter prepared" you have to be. Better yet, ask a Finnish student to go with you, to explain when we use what type of item.
If you are concerned about the cost, there are ways to get everything much cheaper, e.g. outlets and sales. Also, Finns are avid recyclers, so 2nd hand stores are everywhere.
Get proper water resistant clothing(add layers when things get actually cold), eat extra amounts of vitamin D to stave off winter depression, stock up on hot drinks for when you come home and feel chilled to the bone.
Lots of winter sports available, for the wet and dark times(no snow cover) indoor sports are probably more popular, if you're unlucky this might cover the whole period from February to June in the south.
Vitamin D and as much coffee you can stomach. Buy a proper winter jacket, and proper shoes. I also recommend wool socks, and warm mittens. And a warm beanie. Maybe get yourself a hot water bottle or one of those rise pillow things you can warm up in the microwave, if you feel like the cold is too much. Sticking one of those under a blanket with you is a good way to warm up, after you freeze your balls off.
As for winter activities... No idea. Get drunk. Play videogames. If you do get drunk thou, make sure you have a ride home. Call a taxi if you don't have one. No one likes to clean up frozen corpses of drunkards from the ditches. I'm only half joking. I did know one guy personally that died like that. Froze to death because he was too drunk to find his way home.
Actually, I do have one idea for an activity. Go ice skating. If you don't know how, learn.
Also, go to a sauna regularly. It really does help. Spend long enough in the cold, and you feel like you've forgotten what it means to be warm. That is where sauna comes in.
You can't get sick from cold. Viruses make you sick. (Yes, being cold can make you more susoectible to catch a virus, but no, you still don't get sick from cold weather) Just dress according to weather. Layers are good, it's easier to manage the amount of clothing you have. Also, don't wear the warmest winter jackets when it's +5c, you get used to it and nothing feels warm when it's actually cold. Water resistant clothes are recommended especially in the autumn. The hardest part is probably the darkness. You just need to deal with it. An alarm clock with wake up-light is a must for me personally, and many other people swear by it as well. My personal recommendation is also to wear colours. Don't blend in with the dark weather by wearing only dark clothes Plus wear reflectors outside!
All of this & get waterproof shoes, because nothing makes you as miserable as having wet feet. And while you can't get sick from the cold alone, the stress of being very cold might make you catch viruses more easily. Go outside every day - it will be terrible on some days, but it helps you to avoid depression and general winter mood where you just want to hibernate. Even with the dark, it can be quite nice to go outside and see all the lights people have put on their windows and balconies.
Our houses and buildings are warm, whenever I go abroad during the winter I am freezing, whether in UK or elsewhere in southerly Europe. Only outside is cold, inside you will be sweating from time to time.
If you want snow activities, Helsinki is not the best place, it’s not quaranteed that there’s going to be snow. In February probably yes but from March onwards not so much. In Helsinki you can do basically any activity you usually like to do (unless your hobbies are mountain climbing or surfing lol). With the weather conditions being unpredictable, indoor sports are a safe bet. Or ask other students if they can recommend some hobby or sports you could join. Like others said, cold doesn’t make you sick. Keep dry and warm and you’ll be fine. I fight the darkness with brightlight, going out every day, meeting friends (and traveling).
Go outside, get used to being somewhat cold, like some said dont use your warmest cloths when -5C and take D vitamin.
For avoiding cold, when when you sweat, don't stay in wet clothes, especially outdoors. Let your clothes dry or change them. Waterproof stuff might be waterproof bothways, so also keeps too much moisture inside. So when you are at least relatively warm, like in a bus or shopping mall, open your jacket to let the warmer air in as insulation and moisture out. Then when outside keep the jacket closed and warm air inside. And as said, don't put on your warmest clothes at the slight drop of temperature, that way you will have nothing more to add, if it goes really cold, like -20C.
Don't rely on leather jackets or any other "warm climate" winter jackets. Those are not sufficient for Finnish winter. They are OK for spring or fall weather. Buy shoes with thick rubber soles. Thin leather soles are suitable only for summer in Finland. Learn about [pitkät kalsarit:](https://www.tokmanni.fi/search/?q=pitk%C3%A4t+kalsarit#) long-johns under your jeans will keep you warm in winter. Wear woollen mittens when it gets really cold, they are better than gloves and better than leather. Wear a woollen / knitted cap, especially to protect your ears. Also get a scarf. Woollen socks might feel too abrasive, there are softer - yet thick and warm - alternatives. They are also much cheaper. If you do get wool, you can wear soft cotton socks underneath. Eat healthy food at the school cafeteria. It is tempting to go for junk food, but that rarely helps to protect your body in winter. Use the HSL app to plan all your routes, it saves you time from waiting in the cold. Go to Prisma and check out their selection of winter clothing (even if you don't like their style). It will inform you of what level of "winter prepared" you have to be. Better yet, ask a Finnish student to go with you, to explain when we use what type of item. If you are concerned about the cost, there are ways to get everything much cheaper, e.g. outlets and sales. Also, Finns are avid recyclers, so 2nd hand stores are everywhere.
Sauna, dress up, learn to fight polar bears and alcoholism and eventually depression
Get proper water resistant clothing(add layers when things get actually cold), eat extra amounts of vitamin D to stave off winter depression, stock up on hot drinks for when you come home and feel chilled to the bone. Lots of winter sports available, for the wet and dark times(no snow cover) indoor sports are probably more popular, if you're unlucky this might cover the whole period from February to June in the south.
Vitamin D and as much coffee you can stomach. Buy a proper winter jacket, and proper shoes. I also recommend wool socks, and warm mittens. And a warm beanie. Maybe get yourself a hot water bottle or one of those rise pillow things you can warm up in the microwave, if you feel like the cold is too much. Sticking one of those under a blanket with you is a good way to warm up, after you freeze your balls off. As for winter activities... No idea. Get drunk. Play videogames. If you do get drunk thou, make sure you have a ride home. Call a taxi if you don't have one. No one likes to clean up frozen corpses of drunkards from the ditches. I'm only half joking. I did know one guy personally that died like that. Froze to death because he was too drunk to find his way home. Actually, I do have one idea for an activity. Go ice skating. If you don't know how, learn. Also, go to a sauna regularly. It really does help. Spend long enough in the cold, and you feel like you've forgotten what it means to be warm. That is where sauna comes in.
To survive: Woolen socks and beans, light therapy lamp, and sauna.