Love it/Hate it: Spring

Love It: April Showers Us With Smiles - Rhea L. Acharya

Walking through the Yard these days makes me happy. Long gone are the days when it would already be dark when I walked into my 4:30 p.m. section in Emerson. Now, as I leave class at 5:30 p.m, I am greeted by music playing from speakers or guitars, a game of frisbee, and the most adorable dogs in Cambridge running in front of me. Spring makes me want to be more efficient in my work and appreciate these simpler pleasures.

This time of year might seem fleeting, with the end of school sight. But because of this, spring encourages spontaneity and forces us to make the most of the time we do have left. Instead of rushing to the warmth of my dorm or my next commitment, spring makes me want to linger. I now meander between classes, taking in the cheerful scenes all around me. I want to eat lunch outside in the Yard or the Law School Library picnic tables, and I want to romanticize my life through walks along the river and pset sessions outside. I even want to skip the shuttle and walk to the SEC, feeling the wind in my hair and the sun in my face as I cross the Charles. Nature is a grounding presence in my life, forcing me to slow down and reflect, and spring brings added introspection.

As flowers start to bloom (Winthrop Courtyard, anyone?) and the grass gets replaced, this spirit of growing inspires me. I wonder what new adventures will come my way, what new friends I’ll make, and what new perspectives I’ll gain. Who is the person I’m growing to be? With the brighter days, I want to be more confident in reaching out to and making plans with friends, and I want to cross more items off my Cambridge-and-Boston bucket list. These are the moments we’ve dreamed of ever since opening up those picture-perfect college brochures and I’m here to make the most of it!

Hate It: April Showers Us With Summer Denial — Hailey E. Krasnikov

You know what I really hate? That feeling when you have a word stuck on the tip of your tongue and just can’t remember what it is. It’s beyond frustrating. And in my eyes, that is exactly what spring is. Sunny days and students hammocking in the Yard continue to remind me summer is coming upon us, BUT it’s not here yet. Springtime is just a reminder that I’m still stuck in class and buried under mountains of psets, while the sun shines outside and I dream of riding the Blue Line to the beach. Spring just means that we’re almost at the end of the semester as everyone chugs Red Bull, crams for finals, and wishes they didn’t have to.

Along with the nice weather fueling my pain that summer isn’t here yet, massive tourist groups have emerged in the Yard. The warm weather has enabled the tourists to crowd in the Science Center Plaza and block my path when I’m walking past John Harvard. But that’s not even the worst part: I will never understand why tourists take pictures of ~Harvard students~. I understand that I’m pretty cool, but I would rather not be subjected to being treated like a rare species in its natural habitat. The least they can do is not capture my post-3p.m.-chemistry-lab hair in a long-treasured photo.

There’s also the typical things that people hate about spring, like seasonal allergies. While I personally do not have allergies, I’ve seen enough red eyes and stuffy noses in the past week to know that I am truly blessed to not have them. And don’t forget about the bees. I know bees are important for the planet, but I would rather take four pset classes than be stung by one. In just a couple of weeks, I’ll probably be dodging the buzzing bees more often than I have to dodge athletes and their electric scooters on the way to class. I’m willing to co-inhabit this campus with the bees while they do their pollination work, but I hope they decide to stay far far away from me.

The warm weather is nice I’ll admit it, but I can’t say the same about everything that comes with it in the spring. I’m just counting down to summer.