As late December approaches and 2021 comes to a close, many begin to reflect on their year. In the spirit of reflection, I will be attempting to rank the months of the year objectively, something that is outright impossible. You likely will disagree with me because of any number of reasons, but frankly, it doesn’t really matter to me. 

With that said, let’s get to the rankings.

12. April

Quite easily, April slots in at last. April has that weird spring thing going where it typically stops snowing and occasionally starts to rain, but not the nice sunny showers, the ugly rain. Spring skiing is in full effect in April and is one of the very few positives to the month, along with spring break (which only sometimes falls in April). Despite that, school is still not getting easier and there’s still one, seemingly never-ending long month between April and summer.

11. March

March is the epitome of the third quarter grind. With no extended breaks, March is a brutal month with school and ‘mid’ weather throughout the month. While the snow is very much skiable, the spring weather contrasts poorly with the remaining winter snow. In addition, St. Patrick’s Day is a rather random holiday that often never matters.

10. November

November is when teachers really start assigning work and generally more difficult content, in contrast to quarter one. Although Thanksgiving break comes around towards the end of the month, the beginning of November seems to last forever in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season. Plus, there is usually a little snow which is enough to be inconvenient, but not enough to ski. 

9. February

The shortest month comes in at number nine, as it does not have too much going for it. Prime winter weather and skiing is often at an all-year high, but it’s that part of winter where it’s always cold and the weather is never nice. While that’s good for skiing at the resorts, it can get brutal and bleak.

8. September

A potentially controversial ranking, September slots in at eight. The below-average ranking is primarily because of the realization that students have in September — there are eight months of school left. September is also pretty lacking holiday-wise, which leads to a rough month. After a nice long summer, once you settle into school in September, you just have to buckle in for a long school year ahead. There’s something to be said about fall weather though, as September boasts some incredibly beautiful colors in Park City with the orange and red leaves turning on the aspens around the end of the month.

7. May

The seventh-best month of the year could be another controversial ranking. May brings polarizing opinions – on one hand, it has that spring/summer hybrid weather and school is coming towards a close, but for many, the pain of May AP tests outweigh almost all of the benefits of the month. After a whole school year of classes, either finals or AP tests have the potential of ruining the last month of classes.

6. January

January, although it has some pretty strong pros, comes in just before the summer months on this list. The problem with January is that it’s just fine. With minimal breaks off school and cold and snowy weather, many could find January to be below average. However, the prime winter weather mixed with the New Year’s excitement bumps it up from a potentially lower ranking.

5. August

Breaking the top five is the eighth month of the year, August. The main downfall of August is, quite obviously, the start of school. That final week of summer can be brutal in anticipation of the first day of school, and the realization hits that school is going to last all the way until June. However, those last drops of the summer are pretty sweet, which catapults August all the way to fifth.

4. October 

October survives to four, in large part thanks to its fall weather and the support of a beloved holiday, Halloween. The final day of the tenth month is one that some consider the best holiday of the year, as it brings a very unique element to the table that no other holidays have — costumes. The norm for Halloween is so refreshingly different from all other holidays based on religious figures or saints that it brings it up a few spots on this ranking. Moreover, the fall weather brings some of the cozier outfits in preparation for a long winter.

3. June

Kicking off the top three is June, a grade-A month that brings in real summer. No school, good weather, minimal rain — June has arguably the best weather of the year, depending on your stance regarding winter weather. Once school gets out, you tend to get the opposite thoughts than the thoughts that August brings, and that is that there is no school for the next quarter of the year. Major responsibilities are lifted after a grind of a school year, and there is finally some time to relax.

2. July 

The second-best month of them all is July. July’s got everything that June has and more. Great weather (if it’s not too hot), no school all month, plus the addition of the Fourth of July. An extremely festive holiday, the Fourth brings out the most patriotic traits of each American in the form of red white and blue attire and fireworks. What’s more American? It’s hard to top a month with no school in general, as it provides students with an incredible break from the constant chore of going to school five days a week.

1. December

December is objectively the best month of the year, hands down, no debate. A twist from the trend of this list which generally favored summer months, December is just straight up hard to top. Enlighten me, what month could top a month with winter snow where you can sled, ski, or snowboard; two weeks off school; and all types of holidays? The answer is no month. December brings you holidays galore with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Eve, all while not having to worry about a history test or a math quiz in the second half of the month. December cruises to the number one spot on this list.