The leaves have changed, the pumpkin spice lattes are filling up, and the autumn season is in full swing. As many welcome the season with much joy and excitement for specific traditions, I could not help but mourn the end of the summer season. Tan lines, beach days, bike rides, and the sweet taste of Kohr’s ice cream on the Seaside Heights boardwalk; I have always been a summer fanatic and each September, as school begins and those endless summer days come to an end, I feel as though I am the only one trying to hold onto those last days of freedom. Everyone I knew was ready to embrace the fall season, which got me genuinely curious about the transition from summer to fall. I decided to get input from students on their thoughts about this abrupt transition; what advice do they have for students like myself who are struggling and feel some seasonal blues as we inch away from the warmer months and closer to the darker days of winter?
I thought the best way to approach this – using my AP Statistics knowledge handed down from Mr. Piparo – would be a quantitative survey. I needed to gather a sample of students who felt passionate about the transition just like I did. Who better to ask first than our seniors? As a senior myself, I understand the stress of college applications; the start of this school year is unlike any other before. The question burning on the top of my mind that everyone seemingly wants to know: what am I going to do with the rest of my life? With all the deadlines and the pressure of being the leaders of the school, this fall season being overwhelming is an understatement. The stress only makes me mourn the warmer months when life seemed like a blissful adventure, with each day being a vacation in some sense.
To my surprise, a majority of students surveyed, even when considering many different stressors (that I will elaborate on later) preferred autumn over summer. Among the 61.1% of students who agreed that autumn is preferable over summer, seniors Alana Greene and Vedelisha (Vee) Valerius, highlighted why fall reigned supreme in the contest between the two seasons.
Alana and Vee both liked the aesthetic attributes of fall that summer seemingly lacked. “I like the way the leaves fall,” Vee highlights; they’re right, the fall foliage as it slowly changes, is truly remarkable. Alana is more excited about what fall lacks: insects. She feels as though she can be outside with more peace and without hassle because of the less extreme weather associated with fall, and as a result, fewer crawly creatures. Another plus for Alana is the many activities in the fall that she can partake in. Halloween, for one, gets her immediately excited for the spooky season. “Halloween is really awesome and I have some great nostalgic memories attached to the holiday,” Alana commented. She went into detail about the traditions that her family has; from decorating her house to playing pranks on trick-or-treaters, Alana and her family embrace Halloween.
Other Mounties agree with Alana: Halloween hits differently. This year’s Halloween costumes didn’t disappoint. From bald eagles to Guy Fieri, worn by Alana herself, there were a variety of costumes worn by seniors and some underclassmen. The teachers coordinated a Harry Potter-themed group costume which was a nice and magical surprise for our students. After school, the phenomenon of ‘Halloweekend’ begins, as students gather with their friends and families to celebrate the holiday in a variety of different ways.
Halloween also marked an important deadline for seniors: Early Action was November 1st, so all the craziness of the fall season surrounding college applications begins to culminate on Halloween.. In the survey I sent out that was directed at seniors in September, 44 percent of them responded that the obstacle they anticipated would surround college applications. As a senior, I felt that stress staying up after trick-or-treating with my friends to finish my last supplement for that November 1st deadline. Still, there are more early actions, early decisions, and regular decision deadlines looming for seniors. I personally know that the November 15th deadline is something I am scrambling to meet, and I dread the fact that I am missing some of the joy of the fall season to focus on these college applications.
When asked if the seniors had any advice for underclassmen starting their college search, many had important wisdom to share. Seniors want the underclassmen to know that they should keep up with their homework, ask for help when they need it, and be sure to live in the moment. College applications can be overwhelming, but it is important to stay ahead of the deadlines while enjoying your time at the Mount. The transition to the school year still may be tough, but finding moments of joy and happiness will make each season enjoyable.
