While the weather gets warmer, students are grabbing the opportunity to bask in some sunlight by playing Frisbee or jogging around campus.

As research has found, taking advantage of the nice weather and enjoying the increases in sunlight boost one’s satisfaction with life.

“There is evidence that people will report a better quality of life in general when it’s not raining,” University of Wisconsin sociology and women’s studies professor Jane Piliavin said. “The weather at least makes people feel better. You would think that it also makes people treat others better, as well as making them more likely to help others.”

Some people, such as UW sophomore Michelle Pohmer, feel nicer weather creates happier moods, even during the dullest of actions.

“I’m happier because I can go outside and do my homework and not be stuck in the library all the time.”

As research conducted by University of South Carolina professor Dr. Shawn Youngstedt has found, it is not necessarily the warmer weather that influences individuals’ dispositions, but rather the amount of light exposure.

“Low levels of light are associated with a worse mood, while more light is commonly associated with a better mood and less depression,” Youngstedt said. “Especially in a state such as Wisconsin, people’s general mood is worse in the winter because of less light. According to anecdotal evidence, people in Phoenix, Arizona, have worse moods in summer because it is too hot to go outside.”

According to the National Mental Health Association, some people may suffer from symptoms of depression during the winter months, with symptoms subsiding during the spring and summer months.

This may be a sign of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations in light.

Youngstedt pointed out that taking advantage of nice weather also boosts happier moods.

“Certainly those people who are more active and spending lots of time outdoors receive more light than an inactive person, which leads to a more pleasant mood,” Youngstedt said.

While UW sophomore Terry Coggin said the warm weather inspires him to attend class, Pohmer said the nice weather is getting students excited and anxious for the school year to be over.

“People know that warm weather means the Mifflin block party is coming and the end is near,” Pohmer said.