We are lucky enough to attend a school with a campus nestled in a valley surrounded by green hills, with a running creek, and wildlife such as deer and coyotes that will occasionally come down for a visit. Taking a walk around campus and admiring the scenery is always a good de-stressor, especially when the weather is warm.
When spring rolls around, it doesn’t just entail sunshine and blue skies, but also the season of AP testing, SAT, ACT, and finals. Students, however, don’t seem to care about the stress of assessments when the sun is shining. There’s a different kind of feeling walking around the school when the weather is beautiful and the birds are chirping. Suddenly that test you failed doesn’t seem to matter as much when you get to bask in the sunlight with your friends on Kesterson Field.
Warm weather brings students hope and reminds them that better times are just around the corner: summer.
For many students, the change in weather doesn’t only feel good, but actually uplifts their mood. Research has shown that spending time outside in warm, sunny weather can improve mood and even help people think more creatively and openly. According to researchers from the University of Michigan, pleasant spring weather can improve mood and memory, especially when people spend at least thirty minutes outside.
Additionally, according to behavioral studies, high school students are able to get out of bed easier when the weather isn’t cold. Students find it much easier to get out of their warm bed when the weather outside isn’t freezing.
The warmer weather, however, doesn’t improve all aspects of education. The feeling of summer being close can also make it harder for students to stay focused on schoolwork. Many students report feeling less motivated to complete assignments or study for exams. Instead they have a desire to spend time outdoors and think about the upcoming summer break (especially for second semester seniors).
Head of the Math department, Rick Vezzoli, believes strongly that his students shouldn’t do their classwork outside.
“[Working outside] doesn’t lend itself to doing mathematics,” Vezzoli says, “and students won’t get anything done.”
Still, if you walk through campus on a nice day, without fail you’ll see several picnic tables filled with students completing their work outside.
Sophomore, Rory Brunetti, was one of these students I found underneath the sunshine, studying for a math test.
“The [warm] weather always makes me feel happier,” Brunetti says, “I think everyone around me feels the same way too.”
Along with the majority of the student body, I always look forward to the end of the year. Not necessarily because that means the school year is coming to a close, but because that means I am able to switch to my summer wardrobe, and spend the majority of my school day under the sunshine.
