Pittsburgh is known for its rainy and inconsistent weather, but his spring has exceeded all expectations, and NASH students have been soaking up the sun.  The combination of the sunny weather and the end of the school year approaching is affecting some of Nashs’ student motivation.

The warm weather brings many temptations to ditch homework and head outdoors.

“I have been going on a few visits to the park, which I couldn’t do if it wasn’t so nice out,” junior Eva Kynaston said,.

Junior Nyla Brown has also been taking advantage of the wonderful weather.

“I have been taking my dog on a walk every day after school to get outside and enjoy the weather,” she said.

Like Brown, junior Jake Rechenmacher also has been taking more walks outside.

“Sometimes, I also play basketball with my friends,” he said.

Junior Angela Huang has been happy to be able to start practicing tennis outside again.

“It is a perfect temperature, where I can wear shorts but not sweat when I am running around,” she said.

Although it is nice to see clear blue skies and wear shorts again, the pleasant weather has come at the cost of student motivation.

“I am tempted to leave my homework and just go outside while I can,” Rechenmacher said.

For Kynaston, the warmer days and longer evenings present a host of distractions.

“I definitely think [the spring weather] has made me super excited for summer, but there is so much work to do before then.  The weather makes it even harder to focus,” she said.

Although many have lost their motivation with the hot and sunny days rolling in, not all students have.

Brown has perfected the key to getting outside and doing her schoolwork.

“Instead of distracting me from my school work, it does the opposite,” she said. “The beautiful weather keeps me motivated and helps me focus.  The faster I do my work, the faster I can go outside.”

Huang added, “Honestly, sometimes it is so hot out that I just would rather be inside doing homework.”

When thinking about the end of the school year and the beautiful weather peaking through, some start to wonder if the amount of homework is all that necessary.

Huang and Brown think that teachers should assign less in order to allow students to enjoy the weather.

“It would be nice if they could lighten up the workload, so I could ease my way out of such a stressful year of high school,” said Brown.

“If any teachers are reading this, please lighten up with the workload in general.  200 bonus points would also be greatly appreciated,” said Huang.

Rechenmacher thinks that all classes, except for APs, should start to ease up on the homework.

“AP tests are so important, so I understand why AP teachers cannot go easy on us,” he said.

Kynaston also brought up the importance of AP exams coming up in early May.

“I do not think they [AP teachers] really have a choice,” she said. “It is unrealistic for this time in our education.”