Summer ends and students begrudgingly shift back into a routine. Although the beginning of the year can be disappointing, it is arguably the most enjoyable season of the year, with summer weather, football season, and homecoming. Then fall moves in to take its place with colorful leaves and cozy weather. These pleasant seasons provide students with a much-needed respite from stress and an overall better mood for their first few months of school. But then comes the black sheep among seasons: winter. Tired eyes, cold temperatures, and overall awful moods begin to cast a fog over the halls of high school. It is simply the worst season of the year. 

The most unfortunate effect of the season is undeniably winter sickness. Sniffly noses and continuous coughs fill the air of silent classrooms—occurrences that will always be a bit more concerning than usual since that fateful year of 2020. As colds and flu fly from person to person, we are left missing days of both class and vacation, in exchange for mundane days trapped in the confines of our beds. Our immune systems are just naturally worse at fighting off germs in cold temperatures than in warm temperatures – one of many faults of the winter season.  

When we are lucky enough to be our healthiest selves, the day-to-day life of a student consists of seven hours a day spent sitting at a desk in a classroom. When we finally escape this monotonous routine, there is nothing we crave more than some fresh air and fun – a desire that is quickly dissipated as soon as we step out into the frigid windy air of an Atlanta winter day. Aside from the few winter weeks when Atlanta seems to recognize our solemn moods and grant us an unanticipated break from the cold, we are left rushing straight back indoors once we leave those of North Atlanta. Our options for entertainment are limited and we are forced to come face to face with our most dreaded task… homework. 

While it may not be impossible to entertain ourselves in the cold, winter does more than steal our opportunities for fresh air, it steals our energy as well. It is hard to have fun or even get work done when there is no motivation to do so. Less time in the sun changes our bodies’ circadian rhythms and causes more melatonin – the sleep hormone – to be released. The result: we feel tired much more often. It is not impossible to find sun in the winter, but the cold certainly prevents any desire to do so. There is also the troublesome reality of shorter days, which results in less opportunity to go find some sun. So to all those high schoolers who feel bad about their lack of motivation these past few months, just know that you can always blame the true culprit: winter.