Finals are in full swing! We're all stressed out to the nines and have no idea what we're gonna do. But soon finals will be over and break will be in full swing. But what do you do after going an entire semester of hard work and studying. There are no more papers to write or tests to study for. Now what do we do. Well, I have 12 ways to be productive over our Christmas break.

1. Deck the halls.

Not everyone is able to deck their own halls this Christmas. There has to be at least one older person whose house is lacking the holiday cheer. Grab a few of your buddied that you went to high school with and help them out. Everyone wants to be cheerful around the holidays.

2. Ring the bells.

The Salvation Army is always looking for some brave soul to stand out in the cold and ring the bells for charity. Volunteer for an hour and raise awareness for the people who the Salvation Army helps every year. Bonus: that old high school crush you never talked to might just happen by the same store you're working at. Everyone loves a good Samaritan.

3. Let them eat cake -- or anything, for that matter.

Soup kitchens are extremely over populated around the holidays. It's cold and work is not as easily procured. The soup kitchens in America are always looking for some people who will take some time out of their day to serve the less fortunate.

4. Angels grow on trees.

The Angel Tree is a program that helps parents provide a Christmas morning experience for their children. At just about every mall in America there is a table that you can pick up an "angel" and it has their Christmas wish on it. You can take just a bit of time and make a child's holiday season a great one.

5. That's a wrap.

There are always places that wrap presents for people for a small fee. These places often benefit charitable organizations. These places always need someone to take some time out of their day to wrap some presents pro bono.

6. Work out.

The holidays have the best food you eat just about all year. But you don't have to gain the weight that comes with it. Since we don't have any classes, exams, or papers, we have no excuse. Everyone should at least get themselves a run in for the holidays.

7. Bake offs.

I, for one, love baked goods. They are just about the best part of the food in the holiday season. But if nobody bakes, they don't exist. Take you some time and learn how to bake all those yummy things that your grandparents used to bake back when we were growing up.

8. Read a good book.

Books are so fun when you're not being forced to read them. Find yourself a book that you decide you want to read and go at it. You would be shocked to realize how much you like reading when it's just for yourself and not for a paper.

9. Sleep.

This might not sound like a highly productive thing, but I beg to differ. We, as students, never get enough sleep. So get you're healthy again. Sleep in some. Don't sleep away your vaca but for sure let yourself rest and recharge for an appropriate amount of time.

10. See everyone!

We've been gone. Doesn't matter if it's been two weeks or two years. People miss you! Mom, Dad, siblings, your hometown best friends, and maybe someone you didn't even know thought of you often. So see them. They wanna catch up! And if it's your friends then they wanna repeat all the stuff you got into when you lived in town. So don't stay cooped up all break. Get out there. And when it comes to family, love on 'em. You never know when or if you will see them again.

11. Write some letters.

Soldiers from all 50 states won't be home this holiday season. So take a few minutes out of your break and let one or more know how much you appreciate them and all they do! Here's where you can send them:

A Million Thanks
17853 Santiago Blvd.
#107-355
Villa Park, CA 92861