Christmas is coming and I could not be more excited. Day 1 of the real holiday season, and my Christmas playlist is already up and blasting, just as it will be for the next thirty days. There is one difference between this holiday season and the rest I've celebrated, though –– this year, I'm in a dorm.

Being in a dorm during the holidays can feel kind of weird –– there’s no Christmas tree to decorate and the smell of sugar cookies is strangely absent, so it can be kind of hard to get in the holiday spirit when there doesn’t feel like there’s much spirit to go around. But the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are, in my opinion, some of the best days of the year, and letting them slip by just because you’re not at home is a huge waste.

So this year, I’ll be doing everything I can to bring Christmas and college together to create a very festive, sparkly, red-and-green, snowflakey 60 square foot space. And so the rest of you can share in the magic, here are six things I’ll be doing to bring a little bit of that holiday magic to school with me, and in the cheapest way I can.

1. Build gingerbread houses.

Reality check: you’re never too old to build gingerbread houses. Make it an event –– spend the evening with your roommates, listening to Michael Bublé Christmas while you put together your gingerbread houses. Once they’re done, put them on the windowsill or on top of your mini-fridge. Seeing them everyday will, without a doubt, get you in the Christmas spirit.

2. Speaking of Michael Bublé…

Listen to Christmas music! Coming home to the sound of Christmas music is everything. It might even take some of the pain out of writing that final paper, or studying for your last exam.

3. Decorate!

This might seem like a more expensive option, but there are definitely thrifty ways to turn your dorm into a Winter Wonderland. Twinkly lights are the perfect addition to any dorm, whether for the holidays or everyday life, and you can get them on Amazon for under ten dollars. Another winter fix –– coffee filter snowflakes. And if your roommates are willing, get everyone to contribute a few dollars for one of those little baby Christmas trees. Get creative with the ornaments –– you’re in a dorm, after all. Hang those dangly earrings you really thought you’d wear but never have, or tie some polaroids to string and hang those.

4. Get Christmas-scented candles.

Cinnamon, peppermint, sugar cookie –– your options are endless. And if your dorm doesn’t allow candles, by air fresheners in the same scents. Christmas spirit is all about the vibe –– and since you probably don’t have an oven or real tree in your dorm, another way to bring that holiday essence to life is by surrounding yourself in mock-Christmas scents.

5. Treat yourself.

This doesn’t necessarily pertain just to the holidays, but as we get nearer to Christmas, it becomes more and more relevant, especially for college students. The unfortunate reality is that we’re spending the time leading up to Christmas burying ourselves in freshly baked cookies, hot chocolate, and lavish family dinners. But because being away at school cuts that time short, you’ve got to treat yourself to a bit of that deliciousness while you wait for the semester to come to a close. Make a stop at the grocery store for some cookies or maybe some chocolate, by cocoa cups for your Keurig, or find a night to go out to dinner with your friends (hopefully to somewhere that’s not the dining hall.) Don’t go too crazy, but you’ve earned the right to splurge, especially when it seems as though your entire family is living their best life while you’re studying 24/7.

6. Remember what the holidays are really about.

It sounds stupid and cliche, I know, but like I said, the holiday spirit is a vibe. Don’t let it get you down that you’re not home for the holidays –– instead, take stock of all the amazing things you have at school with you. It’s a little bit different than what you’re used to, but the holidays are all about making new traditions. Start some of your own at school, or incorporate some old ones into your dorm life.

Whatever you do, keep your spirits high and remember that life is all about changing. Changing the way you celebrate this holiday season is just one of a million changes coming your way, so go with it! Embrace the difference, and make it work for you. Besides, you’re only going to have so many holiday seasons in a dorm room –– make the most of them while you still can, because a few years from now, there are most definitely going to be a few things about your makeshift Christmas that you’ll miss. This is a chance to make memories that you’ll hold on to forever –– don’t let that opportunity pass you by.