Recently, one of my friends sent me his list of months ranked and asked what mine was, and I realized I hadn’t really thought about that before. Although every year is, of course, different, there are a few months that I always enjoy more than others, whether it’s because of the weather, holidays or events that occur during those months, or other reasons. This is my current ranking of months of the year from best to worst.

1. August

Some students might not like August because it’s when school starts, but I love the feeling of optimism that comes with a new school year beginning. Once summer reaches August, it’s already been feeling lethargic for a while, and I like that school gives me newfound motivation to be productive and get things done. In August, classes have just started, so there isn’t a lot of homework yet (at least compared to later on in the year), and the start of clubs/club interest meetings make me excited about the upcoming school year. Also, my birthday is in August, and several of my friends’ are during the August to early September period.

2. May

To me, May feels like the opposite of August; instead of excitement about the school year starting, there’s excitement about summer break starting. Although AP exams and finals are in May, most classes are essentially free time as teachers try to give students time to study on their own. Despite the bitter sweetness of saying goodbye to graduating seniors, students look forward to the summer ahead because they’re ready for a long break.

3. December

December means Christmas and two weeks off from school, so it’s definitely high up on my ranking. The excitement and, to be cliche, holiday cheer during the first few weeks of December are palpable, and winter break is long enough for most of us to have time to do everything we want to get done and have time to simply relax as well.

4. September

In September, the feelings of optimism from August linger, and the weather cools down to a temperature much more pleasant than the summer heat. A lot of students begin going to football games, and fast food chains release fall menu items. The start of fall, in my opinion, comes with so many great things and feelings.

5. November

The best part of November is Thanksgiving Break. I think that during this month, we’re all somewhat tired and just looking forward to getting a week off from school, and what makes Thanksgiving Break even better is knowing that winter break isn’t far off afterward. Although November can be tiring due to the continuity of school and schoolwork piling up, the warm, relaxed feelings associated with fall still exist. November is the perfect time to watch Gilmore Girls.

6. June

Of the two main summer break months, June is the one that’s more full of energy because the school year has just ended, leaving students with a feeling of freedom. June feels like unlimited time with friends and getting to determine my own schedule after almost a year of bells telling me when I’m allowed to leave a room.

7. March

March is when the winter weather finally begins to warm up, but it’s not as rainy as April. What I like most about March is the Georgia TSA State Leadership Conference in Athens, Georgia, which is always a lot of fun. In March, I become more aware of the fact that I need to prepare for my AP exams, but I allow myself to put that off until April (knowing I’ll continue to put it off once I get to April).

8. October

I don’t consider October an especially good or bad month, which means that whether I like it or not each year depends more on what happens that particular year. It’s not too cold yet, and homecoming and Halloween happen during October, but school begins to feel draining.

9. July

One of the main things I remember about this past July is that it was really hot; when I think of July, I think of stickiness. The heat makes me feel tired and lazy, and instead of doing anything I’d planned to do, I stay in my bed.

10. January

Going back to school after winter break is always hard, and this side of the break makes AP exams and other end-of-year tests seem much closer. The break never feels sufficiently long.

11. February

Even though we’re in Georgia, to me, February is too cold for it to be a good month. I think February is also a relatively high-stress month school-wise as it’s when classes get into harder units and assign more work than any other time during the school year.

12. April

During April, stress about AP exams hits, and it feels like it’s raining every single day. The weather brings everyone’s mood down, as does worrying about the exams to come next month; I can’t think of anything particularly enjoyable or good that happens during April.