Every year, class attendance drops thanks to a familiar contagion, one that infects a significant portion of the student population each year.
It’s spring fever — the seasonal excuse for dubbing classes optional, transforming textbooks into makeshift drink coasters and encouraging the “dressin’ for festin’” dress code.
Though some might point a finger at spring fests or primetime specials for a plummeting academic drive, some experts have attributed it to alternative stimuli.
Justin Weeks, an Ohio University assistant professor of psychology and director of the Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety, said seasonal changes are the main culprit for spring fever.
“Spring is sort of the inverse of what can cause some people to get depressed during the winter,” Weeks said. “During the winter, we get less sunlight, which reduces our melatonin levels.”
Weeks added that the boost in melatonin during times of increased sunlight can affect a person’s circadian rhythm, which is the biological rhythm that adjusts to the environment.
The resulting mood enhancement, Weeks said, can be attributed to the increase in ultraviolet-based light during the spring.
However, Weeks added that the different mood changes caused by the seasonal switch often vary by individual.
For Betty Kallner, a senior studying family and consumer sciences education, Spring Quarter means a smaller course load cushioned with easier classes. Kallner said that, during Spring Quarter, she skips about one class a week, which is more than she skips Fall or Winter Quarter.
“I’m a senior, so I have a lot on my mind right now,” Kallner said. “And just wanting to be outside and enjoy everything (contributes to spring fever).”
Unlike Kallner, however, Ryan Boyd, a sophomore studying journalism, said he does not skip many classes, even as the weather warms.
“This quarter in particular, I’m taking a lot of smaller journalism classes, so attendance is really, really important,” Boyd said.
But for those who do opt to skip class, the warmer weather isn’t the only factor at fault.
Daryn Straley, an allergist at Campus Care, said the increase in sun exposure can lead to boosted levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are responsible for shifts in mood.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter thought to be responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness, while dopamine is responsible for reward-driven learning.
“It’s pure sun exposure,” Straley said. “It’s found that dopamine and serotonin levels rise merely when you have more exposure to sunlight.”
But, though Straley said he does not believe there is a scientific explanation for spring fever, the change in mood and altered sense of well-being can ultimately tamper with a student’s focus.
“When those levels go up, it’s almost like taking a mood stabilizer or antidepressant,” Straley said, adding that combatting spring fever is simply a matter of redirecting the newfound energy boost.
Weeks said he also holds the personal assumption that spring fever can be blamed on academic burnout, as Spring Quarter marks the final lap of the academic year.
Regardless of whether the blame is placed on increased sun exposure or the upcoming academic hiatus, many professors at OU witness the results of spring fever firsthand.
Jared L. DeForest, anassistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, said he perceives a definite correlation between weather and attendance.
“I teach a Friday course, but generally on Fridays, I get less attendance than any other day of the week,” DeForest said. “And if the day happens to be really nice out on a Friday, we get even less attendance.”
For Harvey E. Ballard Jr., a professor in the same department as DeForest, his class attendance remains intact even during the warmer months.
“(My attendance) has been pretty steady, but the course I am teaching right now is a high-level course,” Ballard said. “Their butts would be burning if they didn’t come.”
Ballard also noted that Spring Quarter does not elicit any notable increase or decrease in grades from his students.
But for those looking to combat spring fever — regardless of whether it is caused by an impending academic break or the heightened sun exposure — Straley said students can focus more on long-term gratification rather than instant pleasure.
“Largely, it depends on a person’s background,” Straley said. “Some people find that the improvement in their mood … is more studying. There’s sort of the more visible group that decides it’s a lot more fun to go out and play.”
sg409809@ohiou.edu
