New England winters can be harsh and unforgiving. New Haven winters in particular can be random and annoying. Either way you look at it, winter is always a long period of cold, gray and gross days. Now, with the page turning to spring, and a week full of temperatures over 70 degrees ahead of us, it is time for us as students to take advantage of that.

The school year is reaching a point where final projects, papers and exams can be seen on the horizon. Along with that comes an abundance of stress and worry about the results of a semester’s worth of work. This is the week to take some time and enjoy the weather; step outside and bask in the sunlight; head to a quad and throw a frisbee for 30 minutes.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the “winter blues” are ailments that many people struggle with, whether they realize it or not. It becomes present through the prolonged stretches of cold or snow that we are accustomed to on campus. After all, there are only so many days that one can bear the rapid wind tunnel passing between Celentano and Sheffield Halls.

Conditions like this can bring the mental health of students down, making them want to stay in bed and away from the bad weather. It can heighten stress and anxiety levels as well, making it hard to get through each day. These are all compounded within college students with every passing day of classes and homework.

While there have been moments of warm weather throughout the past few weeks, this will be the first time it will truly feel like spring. It is the perfect opportunity to let ourselves reset from the winter, get some sun and vitamin D and head into the finale of the school year refreshed. One week of this may not cure students of their feelings of anxiety around this time, but it can certainly help put a smile on their face under the warm sun for at least a moment.

Before we know it, the school year will be over and we will head home for the summer. The end is near, and we should let this week of rising temperatures feel like a preview of what’s to come.