The few leaves left on these tall oaks show the damage wind storms left last week. Photo taken by Olivia Eori.

By Olivia Eori
As more leaves fall off the trees everyone is reminded that winter is coming, but how does this change in seasons affect students?

Daylight Saving Time ended on November 1st, and as a consequence the sun now sets daily around 4:30 PM. This leaves much less time to go outside and enjoy the afternoon sunlight after being stuck in school all day. Although for the next few weeks students will have the advantage of waking up to the sunrise (daily around 6:30 AM), it will not be long before it is just as dark in the morning as it is in the afternoon. A lack of sunlight in the winter can cause seasonal depression in people. This can be a common symptom of a season’s change because all humans need sunlight to survive (for more reasons than just to soak up vitamin D). Most students will not become severely depressed as winter sets in, but many will start to miss the sunlight even if just subconsciously.

With unpredictable New England weather, some students might find it difficult to adjust to winter, especially this season. The first snow was around mid-October, which was much earlier than in previous years. This early snow could signal a particularly cold winter is coming in the next few months, as well as an increase in snowfall throughout the season. Strong winds in late October shook the leaves off the trees earlier than usual this year, cutting time short for students to enjoy the fall foliage.

It may seem as though winter is coming more quickly than in previous years. This may cause a psychological affect on students who dislike the cold temperatures and darkness of winter. A general aversion to winter paired with the upcoming cold, cloudy weather probably will not cause an upset in students’ grades, but it may be the source of grouchy attitudes.