By Mohammed Aziz
staff writer | azizm@duq.edu
Yong Myoung
staff writer | myoung@duq.edu

As daylight saving time comes to a close, students face more changes than just an additional hour of sleep.

With the sun setting earlier and the breeze getting colder, research shows students may experience changes in their mental health, motivation and academic performance.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, reduced exposure to sunlight during the fall and winter months can contribute to a disorder called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The institute reported that SAD is a form of depression associated with seasonal changes, bringing symptoms including fatigue, low energy and difficulty concentrating in everyday life.

Scientists are still trying to understand what causes SAD, according to the National Institute of Health. They continue to look at how specialized cells in people’s eyes turn the blue wavelength part of the light spectrum into neural signals affecting mood and alertness, which comes from the sun.

Researcher Kathryn Roecklein at the University of Pittsburgh tested people with and without SAD to see how their eyes reacted to blue light. As a group, people with SAD were less sensitive to blue light than others, especially during winter months — which suggests a possible cause for wintertime depression.

For college students balancing coursework, exams and responsibilities, these symptoms can be heightened, according to the University of North Dakota.

Laila Burrell, a student in Duquense’s pre-medical master’s and doctoral pro gram, said that she has noticed changes in her motivation since daylight saving time ended.

Although Burrell has not experienced large changes in her mood, she noticed that she has to put more effort into her studies than usual.

“I must push myself harder to complete assignments and study for exams,” she said.

Burrell also said that earlier sunsets have changed her studying habits and how she prioritizes getting assignments done earlier rather than later, because she finds concentrating difficult in the evening.

However, not every student experiences these issues.

Grady Papa, a finance and accounting major, said daylight saving has made absolutely no difference in his daily life.

“It does not affect me at all and has not affected my studies at all,” Papa said.

Similarly, Nico Magoulas, a supply chain management, information systems and business analytics major, said the time change has not interfered with his performance on academics.

However, he does put effort into preventive measures to make this possible.

“I stay active and try to be social around this time.” Magoulas said. “It hasn’t affected my studies at all, but there is no point in having it [affect me].”

Burrell recommended finding a study partner to work with to combat the lack of productivity that may come with the time of year.

“For motivation, get a study buddy. It is much easier to work together accountability-wise,” she said.

She also emphasized the importance of maintaining a good sleep schedule, exercising and seeking support through the counseling center if needed.

While daylight saving time does not affect everyone equally, prioritizing mental health with therapy, maintaining social connections and taking Vitamin D supplements can help students navigate the darker months in the semester, according to Pivotal Health.