A few weeks ago, when it was warm for two seconds, I stepped outside and noticed a complete shift in the campus energy. There were people covering every square inch of grass, smiling and laughing. Everyone seemed happier. That week, I felt more productive than I felt all year, and the people I talked to expressed a similar sentiment. 

61% of people report that their mood improves during spring in comparison to winter. As the year progresses into the winter months, the sun starts to set earlier, lessening motivation and productivity. Circadian rhythms are based on light, and as a result, in the shorter days of winter, you need more sleep. Between all-nighters, 8 a.m. classes and partying, sleep and college students do not get along. Winter makes that relationship even worse. Although school in the summer would not completely remedy that toxic relationship, it would certainly help.  

Although this may be controversial, I believe that from this data, it is evident that we college students are our best selves when the weather is warm. Just imagine the motivation and the happiness we would all feel if school was during summer.

Just hear me out for a second.

Walking to class in the middle of the Pittsburgh winter could only be described as excruciating and soul-crushing. Trudging through the brown city slush while your ears burn from the cold and your toes go numb is dreadful. In the middle of January, I started getting goosebumps on my face when I went outside. I didn’t even know that was possible. One time, I walked outside with wet hair, not thinking about the temperature, and it actually froze solid. Every time I stepped foot outside this winter, I wanted to cry. There would be no tears if school was during the summer. Well, at least no tears about the freezing temperature. 

Winter isn’t for running around, stressing over exams and papers. Winter is for staying warm and going about life at a more leisurely pace. If our longer hiatus from school was over winter, we could stay inside with a nice hot cup of tea, a blanket and some stew cooking on the stove. But with the current academic calendar, we have to go outside with a coat that’s four inches thick and boots up to our knees. If bears can hibernate in the winter, I should at least be spared the 15-minute walk to my chemistry class. 

During the school year, there would be more motivation to get your work done. The summer unlocks a new studying reward. Before, a sweet treat would have been your only option to reward yourself for hard work, but with this schedule change, you also get to go outside. Sunlight releases serotonin and therefore improves mood. The summer unlocks new motivation and more opportunities for happiness. 

There’s only one obvious problem with this schedule change, and that’s Pitt’s dorms. A lot of dorms do not have air conditioning. To comfortably and safely change the schedule, a lot of people would have to pass out from heat exhaustion, but their sacrifices would obviously be worth it for the general increase in happiness we would all feel. 

However, the pros obviously outweigh the cons. The winter is not conducive to the trek up cardiac hill or the already incredibly low spirits of college students. Walking outside and seeing the faces of tired, sad college students while simultaneously getting hit in the face by a freezing gust of air is a vibe killer. Now close your eyes for a second and imagine stepping outside, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face, and hearing a bird chirp somewhere in the distance. Almost every day would feel like that if the school year shifted. Everybody is warmer, everybody is happier, everybody wins. 

Zion Schenk likes to write about politics, art and culture. Email her at zms42@pitt.edu