When snow first covers the ram statue outside of Hughes Hall, many students take it as a sign to hunker down in their dorms and hibernate for the winter.
It sounds appealing to stay in your dorm room all day, only braving the weather when it is time for class, but you will miss out on all of the great winter activities New York City has to offer, some of which are free.

Instead of binge-watching a series on Netflix for eight hours, go and ice skate at Bryant Park on the Winter Village ice rink. The ice rink at Bryant Park is the only skating rink that has free admission in New York City, with skates, helmets and lockers available for rent.

Once you are done skating, you can go inside The Lodge and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate, along with an assortment of comfort foods.
There are also many other ice skating rinks, some of which are New York City’s prominent tourist attractions, like the Rockefeller Center Rink and the Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Although these ice skating rinks will be more crowded and cost money for admission, you will be able to see some of New York City’s most iconic sites as you skate.
However, if ice skating is not for you, there are also indoor winter activities, such as the Brooklyn Flea Market and Smorgasburg, which are open on the weekend.
The Brooklyn Flea Market and Smorgasburg allow you to stay warm while you get to look at a vast array of gifts, including antiques, clothing and handmade trinkets, all while eating unique food and desserts.

There are also many activities outside of New York City that can help separate you from the chaos and craziness that you call home.
After taking a 50-minute bus ride from Port Authority Terminal, you can arrive at Campgaw Mountain Ski Area in New Jersey. This mountain is great for beginners as well as advanced skiers and snowboarders, with trails ranging from green squares to black diamonds.

If you just want to tag along with your friends but do not feel like skiing or snowboarding, there is also a tubing track that will tow you up the mountain and allow you to plummet down it.

If there are a lot of beginner skiiers in your group, Mount Peter Ski Area might be a better fit. There are more beginner trails and they offer a free skiing or snowboard lesson when you buy a weekend lift ticket.

Mount Peter Ski Area is accessible by a 60-minute bus ride from Port Authority Terminal to Warwick, New York. There is also tubing at Mount Peter Ski Area, as well as a pub with food to warm you up, like hot chocolate, soup and chili.

If you want to try skiing or snowboarding but do not want to leave the city, there is also a Winter Jam Fest in Central Park on Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Winter Jam Fest is a free event where you can learn to ski or snowboard in Central Park, made possible by a mountain of snow that is blown onto Rumsey Field.

There are also other events that you can take part in and watch, such as snowshoeing, sledding, ice sculpting, ice skating as well as snowboard and ski performances.
There is also a FrostFest in Bryant Park that takes place between Jan. 24 and Feb. 2 near the ice skating rink at Winter Village. This festival is free and allows you to take part in events such as silent disco, cozy igloos and bumper cars on ice.

However, do not worry if you miss FrostFest, as the bumper cars on ice will be at Bryant Park from Jan. 17 to Feb. 28 as well. All you have to do is go on the Bryant Park website and reserve your ticket. It is important to note that although the ice skating rink has free admission, the bumper cars cost $17 to reserve.

If these winter activities are making you excited to brave the outdoors, look into the Fordham Outdoors Club, a wonderful resource for winter activity ideas that puts on many events throughout the year.

Next time you watch the freshly fallen snow hit the ground and are about to curl up underneath a blanket in your bed, think about all of the fun winter activities that await you in New York City and beyond.

After all, it is much more fun to use bumper cars on ice than it is to take a nap.