As twinkling lights begin to sparkle, fuzzy socks come out of hiding, and snowflakes start to dance their way down from the clouds, it seems that more than just holiday spirit is touching the hearts and minds of many Minnetonka students.

“During the holidays, my attention gets divided between school and my excitement for break. It’s a lot harder to focus with so many exciting distractions so close,” said one student.

Another common culprit of bad feelings is the mood swings that can often accompany dramatic weather shifts. Typically, the frigid temperatures can negatively affect people’s demeanor, but to Elayna Sitzman, ‘19, it actually is just the opposite.

“Snow for me [and cold weather] isn’t a hard thing [like it can be for some people], but for me, when there’s snow, I get a lot more excited. When there’s one more thing to distract you, of course, it will play a role in taking you away from your priorities, but I guess you could say that for anything year round really,” she said.  

In contrast, “cold weather definitely affects my mood. I’m much more of a warm weather person, so when it gets dark so early in the day it really makes me tired,” said Grace Bruins, ‘18.  

When asked if their December festivities took a toll on their grades or daily routine overall, the answer was a surprisingly overwhelming no.

“I live for the holiday season, but I don’t let it interfere with my grades,” said Kylie Nault, ‘20.

Come January, only time will tell if this holds true. One can only speculate if these perceptions of the winter season robbing us of energy and attention are truly credible, but with their widespread acceptance with this generation, we must come to accept that this has become a reality. The best advice one can follow is to just try to remember what your priorities are, and stick to what is important as we try to stay warm in these cold winter months, and, hopefully, still share a bit of holiday cheer with our dear friends and family.