Little bunnies burrowing their ways out of holes, birds migrating back north and Easter being just around the corner can only mean one thing: Spring is on its way.

After a seemingly endless drab and cold winter in DeKalb, spring will surely be embraced with open arms this year by all.

Nice weather can offer a plethora of advantages to the typical cabin-fevered student, who has surely, by this point, been driven mad by one-too-many weekends inside due to inclement weather.

It is easy to drop your books for a game of bags on the front lawn, to walk to class (only to end up not going) or to simply forget about an exam when beer gardens around town are removing cobwebs, ensuring free-flowing spirits.

In the battle between fun outdoor activities and tedious schoolwork, the winner is obvious.

What can be done to cure this infectious and inevitable fever? Is there a happy medium between our desire for sun on our backs and our desire to be successful college students?

“When the weather gets nice, I try to sit outside with a book and read and do homework,” said Kristy Kale, junior English major. “I get the best of both worlds: My homework gets done, and I get a tan.”

Try to make an honest attempt to bring a book outside in hopes that you might read it. A break in between two classes is a good opportunity to cozy up to a book on the grassy hill of the King Memorial Commons. Once you make outdoor reading and studying a priority on campus, it may be easily applied to downtime off campus.

Another plan of action, and perhaps the most obvious one, is to do your work before going out to play. This notion, traditionally abandoned by college students, could come in handy when trying to satisfy the yearning for the outdoors. A little time management could go a long way.

Making going to class a main concern is also in a student’s best interest. Whether by sleeping in with the warm sun beating on your face or jogging outside and “accidentally” taking a wrong turn, there are plenty of ways to avoid going to class on a nice day.

Simple class attendance should not be overlooked. Attendance points and participation usually count toward final grades. Skipping out on this easy way to secure a grade is quite foolish, especially considering college students should possess the self-discipline to know better.

Sarah Stanislawski, junior nursing major at Eastern Illinois University, agrees that spring fever in college students is a widespread ailment.

“I find myself slacking this time of year. I put aside time for the library, and I end up going out to eat with a group of friends. My studying time decreases as the temperature increases, even though finals are coming up.”

Spring is typically the time of new beginnings and fresh starts. It is important to realize that, as students, we are not exempt from that trend. If we just exercise a little self-discipline, attend to studies and secure some good grades, it will be much easier to rest with an easy mind about school once summer vacation starts.