The Brown & White

Look outside. The snow has melted, and the trees, although still bare, show signs of small, green life. Most scarves and hats have been put away, and the occasional but bold flip-flop wearer can be seen walking around campus. The anticipated has finally arrived, and after a long and cold winter, Lehigh seems to need the oncoming spring season.

Spring brings many things - new life, new wardrobes and, most importantly, new attitudes. Sunnier dispositions paired with outdoor activities and a revival of the social scene certainly can cause unwanted distractions in lieu of the final weeks of the semester.

For Kevin Jacobs, '10, warmer weather means enjoying himself with friends outside.

"If it's nice out and everyone is having a great time outside after a barbecue lunch, I usually will skip class to hang out," Jacobs said.

But warm weather is not the only thing that keeps him from the classroom.

"If it's cold or rainy I usually skip class to sleep, unless I have something to do," Jacobs said.

Sam Feinberg, '11, said he agrees that the weather can be distracting.

"While inclement weather keeps me from going to class at times, I think that when it's nice outside it will be even harder to stay inside," Feinberg said. "There's so much more to do when it's sunny and warm. Spring just makes me happier, and I think when it starts to get consistently nice out all I will want to do is chill with my friends and hang out outside."

So, what is the relationship, if any, between weather, mood and academic performance?

Ian Birky, director of counseling services, said the relationship between weather and mood is entirely subjective, depending on what emotions people associate with different weather.

"For the person who sees the sunshine and warm weather causing the snow on the ski mountain to melt, sunshine might be noxious," Birky said. "Perhaps one way to think of 'nice' weather is to recognize that weather that makes us feel good is often the kind of weather that is associated with lack of pain."

Birky said a cold, windy day might make someone feel painful, and pain tends to make us attend to ourselves - to become self-focused, which in turn tends to diminish our mood.

"When we experience pleasant weather, there is a higher probability for happiness," Birky said, "which is associated with less attunement to ourselves and, thus, a happier disposition."

Therefore, nice weather, when it connotes lack of pain and the kind of pleasure associated with less self-focus, allows us to have greater happiness and thus be in a better mood.

Because nice weather generally creates a sense of happiness within us, the effects of happiness on motivation also have to be taken into account, Birky said. The motivation to go to class, to do work and to keep extracurricular activities in check may change as our mood becomes more positive.

Birky said the relationship between positive mood influenced by nice weather and decreased motivation is temporary.

"While I'm sure the first signs of spring warmth may cause us to forget the books momentarily, the fact is, when we experience nice weather that makes us happy, we are more likely to be creative, energized [and] able to the see the big picture and thus the value of our education," he said.

Birky also said happier moods allow us to focus better and perform at peak levels. Positive moods promote better memory, better sleep and ultimately more productive behavior.

"This has been researched, and the positive effects of happiness are quite impressive," Birky said.

The next few weeks may be stressful as classes end and finals begin. But, happiness can make students more resilient to stress, Birky said.

Spring is also a time for budding romances. A more positive mood makes us better able to be close and intimate with others.

Although distractions like barbecues and sunny weather might keep some students from attending class, others will reap the benefits of the nice weather with a more focused and performance-enhancing positive mood.

Jason Schatz, '08, said he can see himself slowly developing a case of "senioritis."

"I've had a job for months now, and I still go to class, but I definitely see my motivation diminishing," Schatz said.

Springtime activities can be tempting, and Schatz said he finds himself getting increasingly distracted.

"It's hard to get work done and go to class when there is so much stuff that I could do and everyone is always in the mood to hang out," he said. "Especially because now that I have a job, it's kind of like, 'What's the point?'"

Most students are thankful the weather has finally turned around. Feinberg said she can not wait to trade in her Ugg boots for a pair of flip-flops.

"I just am really glad that I don't have to worry about getting to class through snow and ice," Feinberg said.

Birky said if we find ourselves full of gratitude for the nice weather, we are more likely to achieve success in meeting our goals and having higher levels of meaning and purpose, which could increase focus and performance.

"So the bottom line, I would suspect, [is] that nice weather, on the whole, creates conditions for better overall performance and enjoyment of college life," Birky said.