As darkness descends over Cambridge, daylight is swallowed by a serpentine set of streetlamps snaking its way through the city. The rain is unrelenting and the wind is unforgiving. Looks like another night indoors. You have the company of your most faithful friends (Facebook, YouTube and BuzzFeed), you’re wrapped up in your duvet, and your sorrows are drowning in a second mug of hot cocoa. What’s not to love? Well, my friends, one thing: the terrifying possibility that, at the end of winter, there may be little to distinguish you from a soft gooey marshmallow – pale (from lack of sunlight), round (from excessive eating) and devoid of personality (from failure to maintain social interaction).

Despite being desperately adorable and ridiculously sweet, marshmallows are not as sexy as their chocolate counterparts. Accordingly, they spend substantially less time in checkout queues and more time on shelves. Romance with other forms of candy is precluded by plastic packaging. It’s a lonely life indeed. So how does one avoid this fate? How do we survive the next few months without turning into pale blobs of unhappiness? Here are a few ideas. 

1. Pick a team sport and commit to it.

If the only person you’ve agreed to exercise with is you, chances are you’ll pull out at the last minute. It’s too cold, it’s too wet, I’ll go tomorrow. Sound familiar? Well, the benefit of joining a team sport is that there are other people counting on you to show up. And if you don’t train regularly, you won’t perform as well when it comes to competitions. Two compelling reasons to get out of bed! 

2. Invest in decent outerwear.

When you’re getting ready for a big night out, nothing kills the mood faster than hearing the rain lash at your window pane and the wind howling to get in. Forget those sexy black heels – you need rubber soles tonight. By the time you’ve finished puddle-proofing your outfit, you’ll look more like a giant rubber duckie than a social butterfly. But before you resign yourself to a life of bathtubs and soap suds, hear me out. If you head to the shops and invest in a decent raincoat and decent leather boots, you’ll be able to brave the weather without compromising on your outfit. Raincoats, no matter how daggy, can always be discarded at the front door, allowing you to emerge, safe, dry and happy, like a butterfly leaving its cocoon.

 3. Host social events in your own home.

Inviting friends over rather than venturing outside is the easiest way to avoid being a hermit this winter. You don’t need to dress up or leave the house; you just need to have a home and stay there. Better yet, head to Sainsbury’s and buy some decent cheese. Fondue night anyone? Promise the largest slice of camembert to whoever shows up in a beret with a baguette under their arm. The following week, try your hand at Mexican cooking. Whip up some quesadillas and guacamole and you’ll have a fiesta in no time (sombreros optional). Play taco roulette by adding a deadly amount of chilli to just one taco and seeing which unfortunate diner spends the rest of the evening in the bathroom. If spices aren’t your thing, how about a night in Japan? Buy some udon noodles from Mill Road, chuck them in a large pot with all your leftover meat and vegetables, add soy sauce, mirin and dashi stock and watch your worries drift away with the rising steam. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, pick up some sushi-making ingredients from Sainsbury’s and see whose sushi roll stays intact the longest. Sumo wrestling and kimono outfits compulsory. If all of this sounds too hard for your average student sloth, then simply turn on your laptop, plug in your hard drive and host a Downton Abbey marathon from the comfort of your carpet.

4. Indulge in food you never eat in summer

Have you ever seen bikini-clad girls eating risotto on the beach? Neither have I. There’s a reason why winter food is confined to the colder months. The mercury drops so low that only carbs can save you now. Nothing feels better than bursting through the front door in a whirl of scarf, raincoat and damp hair, and digging into a steaming bowl of risotto. Sure, your glasses fog up, and the pot is hard to clean afterwards. But it tastes so damn good. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts, and eat as much soup, pasta and rice as your stomach will allow. Experiment a little – throw sun-dried tomatoes, bacon and artichoke hearts into angel hair pasta, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with lemon. Or enjoy a lighter spaghetti with strawberries and balsamic vinegar rather than boring old pork mince. Don’t be afraid to try new flavour combinations. Student housemates make the best guinea pigs.

 5. Bring the outside indoors

Feel like a picnic but put off by the rain? Bring the party indoors. Spread a rug on the carpet, invite all your friends over for scones, and pass around the Pimms like it’s nobody’s business. You can’t control the weather outside, but the atmosphere inside is yours to create. If scones don’t satisfy, throw in some unusual sandwiches like apple, cheddar and bacon grilled cheese sandwiches or French toast with poached pears, salted caramel and mint. The world is your oyster. Don’t let winter spoil it!