For Spartans who come from warmer hometowns, Michigan winters can be a big adjustment. Balancing workload, homesickness, and culture shock on top of adapting to the seasons leaves some in an emotional gridlock.

Last year, Lansing had the coldest December since 2017, and the average temperature last month, at 19.5° F, was the coldest of the past 10 years. For some students, this is the first Michigan winter they’ve lived through, and for others, they’ve noticed the stark difference this year’s chill has brought.

Battling seasonal depression

Thuria Alammari, a senior majoring in media and communications with a minor in business, has lived in several places in the US, including Illinois, Minnesota, and Washington. She visits her home in Saudi Arabia nearly every winter and summer break, and coming back isn’t always easy. Back home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, average winter temperatures sit at about 60° F.

“[For our last break,] I went back to Saudi and then I came back [to Michigan],” Alammari said. “I was crying because it was so cold.”

Alammari said she started experiencing seasonal depression after moving to Michigan, which usually starts right after daylight saving time.

“With the day shorter and with the sun setting sooner, it makes me not want to do anything,” Alammari said. “I've always loved summer more, but I think now I hate winter more than ever.”

Even for someone who has experienced winter weather in other states, Alammari has been blind sighted at times by the severity of Michigan winters.

“I didn't do much research on the weather before coming here. I should have, but I just kind of in my head was like, yeah, I've dealt with winters before, so it shouldn't be that bad,” Alammari said. “It makes me sad, like, I wish I chose a school in Florida or something.”

An extra-intense climate