The nights: humid and tropically sweltering. The days: pleasantly sunny with a cruel splash of rain. Goodbye, depressing winter. Hello, bipolar spring.
Spring in Chicago comes with greenery in the trees and love in the air. But it also creates a confusing climate for NU students — and with summer approaching, procrastination and tantalizing dreams of beaches take hold.
“It is more difficult to get motivated to study when you would rather get outside,” said Jason Wiens, a Weinberg senior. “It is the end of the year and you are ready to be finished. With that (feeling) combined with weather, you feel like you want to be done with school.”
But along with the promise of tomorrow is the reality of today. The sauna-like milieu permeating Evanston forces some students to get creative in order to stay sane.
“Last night, my roommate and I put our pillow cases in the refrigerator we were so hot,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, a Weinberg freshman.
Of course, the mornings can also causes irritation, especially when students need to make wardrobe decisions.
“It’s chaotic,” said Bob Morrow, a Weinberg sophomore. “I wake up in the morning and I don’t know whether to wear jeans or shorts.”
It’s an example of a Catch-22: When the rain holds off and a warm day emerges, students get tortured by the summer-like conditions.
And yet, after the famously oppressive Chicago winter — just last week the mercury dropped below 50 degrees — sunshine can be a much-welcomed break.
“I think people are eager to have a nice day, ” said Patti Wolter, an assistant professor of the Medill School of Journalism’s Graduate Magazine program. “Sunny, bright days lift spirits.”
Some students said these warm feelings lead to an academic blessing.
“I feel as if the warm weather makes me do better at my work,” said Evan Hill, a Medill freshman. “During Winter Quarter you are depressed about staying inside.”
But Weinberg freshman Jon Wood disagreed.
“I find myself looking forward to summer more and neglecting work,” he said. “I am really looking forward to spending a majority of my time at the beach rather than procrastinating with work.”
The quarter system — much reviled for creating a perpetual-midterm pattern — also releases NU’s hard-working students into the summer weeks after a majority of the nation’s other undergraduates. Fuchsia tulips, humid air and the green underbrush serve as constant reminders of what’s to come in a few weeks.
“It will be nice to have a reprieve from all the work and responsibility you have during the year,” said Rachel Seymour, a Weinberg junior. “You feel you deserve it, especially because your friends are all out (of school) and all ready started their summer.”
