Jene Thomas – General Assignment Reporter
Welcome back. Winter Break is over. Classes are back in session. Everyone is readjusting to life in the dorms or the traffic that accompanies commutes. Dunkin lines are as long as ever and everyone is still complaining about the school’s wireless connection.
Doesn’t it feel great to be back on campus?
After a semester of protests, robberies and faulty internet connection, many here are ready to have a much better semester. By entering into a new year, everyone is going to wish for better grades, or perhaps just grades good enough to graduate. It’s a new year so anything is possible, right?
If people are set on making up for the mistakes made last semester, they should be prepared. It’s not as easy to play catch up as one might think.
Those who made the effort to get up and go to class the first week, know that it wasn’t the easiest commute, and no, that isn’t meant for just the commuters. Those who live on campus probably had it worse. Even though New Haven had a little over an inch of snow, the sidewalks and streets were incredibly slippery. It took more effort not to fall and slip than it took to actually pay attention in class.
Now imagine that for the next two months. We’re in the dead of winter. Who knows? We could get another snowstorm like 2012. It’s not like ice and snow are uncommon for Connecticut in the winter. When it is absolutely awful outside, a student’s motivation to go to class will diminish considerably.
With assaulting wind speeds and slippery sidewalks, everyone is still expected to go to class. We can’t just expect emails from Patrick Dilger announcing that class is cancelled. He can’t cancel an entire month of school. That’d be called Winter Break, and we already had one of those.
Everyone is just going to have to get through it.
There’s also the phenomenon of Seasonal Affective Disorder also known as “winter depression.” According to WebMD and CNN, scientists suggest that constant feelings of sadness and anxiety accompany the cold weather, due to lack of sunlight light and vitamin D. People also aren’t moving around as much.
After January, when people start to give up on their weight loss resolutions, there is a significant drop in physical activity and the deprivation of endorphins that exercise provides causes people to have the “winter blues.” It’s cold out. Many of us don’t want to leave out toasty beds just slip on the ice on the walk to class. We have to, but the motivation just isn’t there.
Spring Semester isn’t a complete arctic tundra though. We actually do have some days, typically in April and May, which are nice. The sun is out, temperatures are mild and everyone wants to be outside. This is typically when Southern hosts Spring Week, full of outside carnivals, activities and more importantly, free giveaways in the academic quad.
Strategically, Southern places all of the activities in the middle of campus close to academic buildings, but the truth of the matter is that the temptation to just eat fried dough and hang out with friends is too great and classes dwindle into the back of our minds.
So many things were listed that could possible deter students from classes and the biggest distraction of hasn’t even been mentioned yet. After midterms, everyone needs that time to relax and let loose. Whether it’s from Panama City Beach, Fla. or just from the comfort of someone’s couch, it is so hard to focus on classes after returning.
Yes, I’m talking about Spring Break.
It’s going to be a struggle to get those desirable grades, but with the right mind set and enough perseverance, it is possible to get through the semester. Despite popular belief, people actually do manage to graduate.
Photo Credit: Monica Zielinski
