When people ask why I chose USC over the other final contenders, I don’t always tell the fullest truth. I learned from experience that my honest answer typically elicits a chuckle and a pause, as if waiting for me to go on and tell them the real reason. So I tend to fib a little and make something up.

Well, today’s the day I’m coming clean: That real reason is the weather, and I think that should be a valid answer.

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I came to Los Angeles from a distant, frigid land called Texas. In the coldest months, it can reach a glacial 37 degrees Fahrenheit — in the middle of the night. Sometimes, it even snows. 

In all seriousness, I’m lucky to not have experienced maximally depressing winters. But Texas winters were plenty bleak for me. December through February always felt like something to just push through and survive until the sunnier months rolled around. 

While my friends adored fall, with its cool temperatures and Friday-night football games, I couldn’t help but view it as a countdown to the worst part of every year. Sure, I made a meticulously compiled, aesthetic TikTok slideshow to Taylor Swift’s “august,” but I was just trying to cope.

Now living in L.A., I hardly notice when January and February come and go. The persistent sunshine and 60-degree temperatures elevate my vitamin D levels and my mood. Despite the rain, I remain largely unaffected by the seasons, which is pretty miraculous for a girl who typically dreads winter months before the temperature even drops below 70.

Bella Mills, a freshman from Atlanta majoring in dance, had a similar experience. 

“The weather [in Atlanta] is almost always cloudy and rainy … It always brought my mood down,” Mills said. “Since moving here, my mood has changed so much, and I’ve been a lot happier.” 

Ruba Ahmed, a freshman majoring in legal studies, attests to this as well, being from a small town in Wisconsin that she says can reach minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit — almost colder than Texas. 

“It’s 1,000% easier to get into seasonal depression when you are back home,” Ahmed said. “It feels more natural because it’s easy for you to want to stay inside all day when it’s freezing outside.” 

If Mills, Ahmed and I haven’t been convincing enough, this phenomenon is backed by science. Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health found that light can “reach and affect the brain’s mood-regulating areas” that affect emotion, rewards and decision-making. They also found that it takes time for changes in the light environment to begin affecting mood, which could explain why a rainy or cloudy day here and there doesn’t affect us the same as the consistent dreariness back home does.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to L.A.’s lack of a real winter and fall. Without the cooler temperatures and the gorgeous red and orange colors, “august” TikToks, grandpa sweaters and Christian Girl Autumn just don’t hit the same. 

For Ahmed, this applies to winter. “I just miss the aesthetic of winter,” she commented. I may not share the sentiment, but Texas winters are certainly far from the snowy wonderland that is Brookfield, Wisconsin.

I’d also argue that L.A. residents also don’t appreciate sun and warmth like northeasterners. When temperatures hit the high 50s and the sun peeks out of the clouds, my friends in Connecticut and Boston are quick to send pictures of their quads littered with students frolicking in the sunshine, sans big black puffers; I experienced a day like this when visiting one of my friends a few months ago, and their campus was buzzing. 

Ahmed agreed, saying, “When it gets super, super cold and it’s actually awful outside, and you can’t really do stuff, you appreciate it so much more when it first enters spring.” 

While the Trojans may never be able to appreciate a sunny day quite like a northeasterner, I personally know I am forever indebted to the L.A. weather gods.

While writing this, I’ve convinced myself to be honest about why I came to USC. I owe it to myself and my fellow photosynthesizers. I’m not ashamed to have made my decision how I did. Rather, I’m proud to say that I prioritized my happiness and well-being because mental health matters. And if weather is what makes that better, then weather matters a whole lot, too.

Luisa Luo contributed to this story.