Season Review: Winter

Winter is my least favorite season of the year. It doesn't even start for a month, but I'm already feeling all the annoyance it will bring. Here's my review of Winter.

Problems with Winter:
1. Shorter days
I think this is the most overlooked downside of winter. While the cold temperatures make outdoor activities harder, at least you have the time to do them, right? In winter daytime hours, not really. The sun setting at 4:30 in the afternoon is killer. I usually stay around Uni until five when my parents pick me up, and nowadays it gets a little dark before then. Personally, I think it's a little dangerous to walk around some parts of campus when it's dark, so I'm basically forced to stay indoors.
2. The cold
While feeling cold is certainly not the best, there are more significant implications of cold weather, as it prevents me from doing certain activities. There are multiple outdoor activities that are either impossible or more difficult in colder weather. In my free time, I'll often go to one of St. Joe's town parks and shoot a soccer ball around for a while. I'd say this activity is perfect in 65-70-degree temperatures, as that's a perfect balance between hot and cold. If it's too hot, you become sweaty within minutes, and thirsty as well. Bringing along a drink is a bit of a pain, so I'd often run a bit to a water fountain. On the other hand, running around in cold weather isn't nice either. You have to wear more heavy clothes, put on a hat, and even then, you still feel the cold. Sometimes in Winter, it's impossible to play due to snow. In extremely cold temperatures, soccer balls can freeze, becoming hard rocks that hurt to kick.
Running is another activity significantly bogged down by winter. While it's still very possible, it becomes much more of a pain. I like running mostly for the feeling of just gliding along, and that's best when I only need a t-shirt and shorts on a warm summer night. On freezing cold winter nights however, I must bundle up. Running around with ten pounds of jackets on you isn't the most pleasant experience. 
Most importantly, Winter makes eating out on campus less enjoyable. Walking around and exploring campus, and often its restaurants, is a great thing to do after school (or even during school). In the warm and pleasant months of august and September, I'd be on campus for over an hour every single school day, even though I'm not enrolled in a U of I class this semester. There's a lot to see even having been here for four and a half years. Going out to eat on campus is also a fun way to hang out with friends during school, even if it's a bit pricey sometimes. With winter inbound, however, I don't see myself going out to eat as much. Instead, I'll be sitting in Seibel or Grainger library after school, most likely wasting my time.
3. The sickness
The worst of flu season is about to get underway, and it'll last until March or so. I don't think there's much explanation needed here, as everyone knows being sick sucks.


However, there are a few nice things about winter:
1. Winter starts when finals end
The feeling of being done with finals is close to ecstasy. To know that you have no responsibilities for school for two full weeks; it's a feeling of freedom like no other. 
2. The looks
Even though it happens every year, seeing the entire landscape covered in white is quite a change of scenery. In particular, it's a great feeling to wake up, look outside your window, and see the blanket of snow outside.
3. Snow Days
Although they are exceedingly rare at Uni High, snow days are always events worthy of celebration. I remember nights where I'd wait around in anticipation for the telltale snow-day phone call that the school sends out. Snow days are truly a blessing, and having the weight of homework and tests lifted off your shoulders temporarily is great.