Picture this: you just finished unpacking your things and are settling into your new housing. You’re freshly tanned and feeling refreshed from summer, and it’s time to reunite with your fellow Stags. There’s so much anticipation surrounding the long-awaited return to campus after a summer away. The end of the spring semester is marked by a goodbye, while the fall semester greets you with a welcome back and serves as a fresh start.
I’ve always preferred the fall semester to spring for many reasons. I find myself returning more recharged and ready to conquer another semester in September than January. This might be because the weather is warmer and we’re coming back after a longer time off in the fall. The fall weather also tends to be nicer altogether. We’ve been lucky to experience warm, sunny days through November the past few years. On the other hand, spring semester begins with the possibility of snow days and concludes with April showers. There’s always a sporadic 70 degree day that gets everyone’s hopes up, followed by a drastic drop in temperature.
I also find that there are more events to look forward to in the fall. The iconic white party marks the unofficial end of summer (and of wearing white, or so the old tale goes), and the party serves to reunite and starts the semester with a bang. In late September, the University hosts Prez Ball which is always a highly attended event and fun to dress up for. October is a busy month with Parents Weekend and Halloween festivities, and of course the fall semester concludes with crowd favorite, Santacon.
The spring events, such as Clam Jam, tend to be reserved for upperclassmen. Even for seniors things don’t really pick up until Senior Week when the rest of the students go home after finals. There used to be a spring concert to look forward to, but this year even that event was moved to the fall. The University may need to do a better job of planning events in the spring to keep the morale of underclassmen up during the colder months.
This lack of events may be a reason more students study abroad in the spring than fall. I know it was certainly a driving factor in my decision to go abroad last spring. I believe I would’ve experienced FOMO if I missed a Fairfield fall, but I can’t say I felt that way about missing spring. Laura Anderson, senior at Fairfield, said, “I chose to study abroad in the spring because I didn’t want to miss out on a fall at Fairfield!”
My preference for the fall semester is shared by many students. Senior Katelyn Kramer said, “I prefer fall because I love when classes and activities start up and seeing everyone after summer is so much fun! I also love when the trees start to turn color, Fairfield is so pretty in the fall!
Fellow senior, Brooke Benz, said, “ I prefer fall semester because I enjoy the warm weather and being able to take advantage of the beach and walking to town.” Benz brings up a great point that there is so much to do in a beach town like Fairfield when the weather is nicer, which gives fall the upper hand.
Overall, I find the fall semester has a better vibe. Everything feels new and there’s more shared excitement in the air. This isn’t to say spring at Fairfield isn’t great, it just doesn’t live up to the beginning months of the school year. As a senior, spring has become a bittersweet time because it’s a reminder that our time at Fairfield is coming to an end. However, it’s caused me to reflect on my experience and appreciate all of the great semesters I’ve had, specifically the fall ones. If you’re an underclassman sad about leaving campus in a few weeks, channel your energy into looking forward to fall semester!