Is January the worst month of the year?

As a student starting a new year at University, you are supposed to feel excited about fresh beginnings. However, in the back of our minds, there is already a mountain of assignments and other pending tasks piling up. Most deadlines hit right in January, so even before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, you are quietly stressing about the projects and exams looming just weeks away.

For an international student like me, it can be even tougher. January is when we return to the UK having had a refreshing holiday back home. Saying goodbye to our family and friends all over again can weigh you down, especially when your plane will be landing straight into deadlines and the often cold reality of university life.

Then there's the UK weather, which you simply can not ignore. Even when the sun does peek out, it still sets by around four o'clock, though it can often feel like two. The grey skies make everything feel more challenging.

I asked a few of my friends from different parts of the world how they feel about January here in Newcastle, and their responses are telling.

Laila, a Business student from China, went home for the holidays. She reflected: "it's always touch for me to say goodbye for my family when coming back, especially with exam stress on top of everything." According to her, January just cannot compare with the other months of the year.

Georgia, a Literature student from York, said: "I have to agree, I do think January is one of the worst times of the year. It’s cold and miserable weather without the excitement of Christmas and festive season and I'm forever stuck inside!"

"It also is the time when life goes back to routine after a break in December which can make it hard, the vibe just feels off. I also have very little money left to even try and enjoy it!"

Chloe, a Newcastle University student from York, said that December is hands-down the best month. "It's all about celebrating holidays with family, watching movies, and hanging out with friends, with very little to get you stressed and tense." January however, she calls the worst. From exams to weather, she doesn't like January at all.

Finally, my friend Tanish, a student from India. He made the decision not to go home for the holidays due to his job commitments throughout December. That being said, by January, jobs are hard to find as the year kicks of slowly, and he's been struggling to find anymore. This has only made the month even tougher and so for him too, January has ended up being the worst month.

All the reactions were pretty clear; nobody's a fan of January. Between the emotional struggles, the goodbye blues for international students, the pressure of deadlines, and the flat-out miserable weather, it's hard to argue otherwise.

For me personally, it's the same situation. Coming from India, where I love sunlight and bright days, I really miss it here. The constant grey makes everything look and feel more depressing. The streets are quieter, fewer people are round in this normally student-friendly city (at least for half the month). It all adds up to that heavy January feeling. So yeah, for a lot of us at Newcastle University, January really does feel like the worst month of the year.