The holiday season seems to fly by as it is. The short and sweet month between Thanksgiving and Christmas passes in the blink of an eye and before you know it, the season of holiday cheer is replaced with the harsh and brutal elements of a cold winter. Since coming to college, I have felt that the holiday season has narrowed even more as a college student. How am I supposed to enjoy the holiday season when I'm stressing over finals and spending my nights trapped inside the library? For most of us, our finals start the week after Thanksgiving and run until December 22nd. So when are we supposed to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year? Here are ten ways to enjoy the holiday season while simultaneously studying for finals:
1. Listen to seasonal music. What better way to cram for finals than with a holiday soundtrack? The upbeat music will help you focus on the task at hand but still giving you a dose of holiday spirit.
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2. Decorate your study space. If your bedroom is your study space of choice, hand up some lights and bring in a small tree to help give the room a holiday feel. If you prefer to study at the library, change the background on your computer to a holiday scene or add some red and green to your planner.
3. Add some holiday flavor to your study drinks. Instead of basic coffee, try hot chocolate, eggnog, or throw in some peppermint or gingerbread creamer or flavoring.
4. Watch a holiday movie. Everyone needs a study break, so take an hour or two and cue up your favorite holiday classic. Movies are a great way to distract yourself from the overpowering doom of final exams, so why not pick a holiday one?
5. Take a day trip to NYC or Philly. It's really important to not study 24/7 for days and days on end. There is such a thing as over-studying and you don't want to burn yourself out before an exam. Take a mental health day and go visit NYC or Philadelphia. The cities are close enough to campus that you can do it all in one day and both cities do a phenomenal job of decorating and offering fun activities for all.
6. Go ice skating. Of course we all can't be Michelle Kwan, but ice skating is fun at any skill level. Although ice rinks are open year round, ice skating is especially fun during the holiday season.
7. Wear something holiday inspired. If your laying on the couch studying, throw on a pair of fuzzy socks or you're favorite pair of holiday-inspired pj's. It's a spin on "look good, feel good". We're aiming for "look festive, feel festive."
8. Bake cookies with friends. Get together with some classmates or friends and have cookie-baking study group. While the cookies are in the oven, quiz each other on exam material and reward yourself with homemade treats.
9. Send out a Christmas card of you and your housemates. One of my personal favorites is dressing up in funny holiday themes with my best friends and taking a cute picture to use on our personalized holiday cards. Send them to your other friends houses, apartments, and dorm rooms.
10. Do a Secret Santa gift exchange. Buying gifts for all of your friends puts a huge dent in your already small college budget. And with finals, who has time to go shopping? Organize a Secret Santa gift exchange with your friends to cut down on costs and time. Exchange the gifts after everyone is done with finals as a celebratory "we made it" event.
So if you're stuck in a finals funk, suffering from lack-of-holiday-season feelings, try doing one (or more) of the things on this list to bring some holiday cheer into your finals weeks.
Happy studying, and happy holidays!
