Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Student Life

9 Ways That Celebrating Christmas In College Is Different From Being Home For The Holidays

It's a little sad when traditions change.

reimmarzen

Dec 03, 2018

Elon University

234

9 Ways That Celebrating Christmas In College Is Different From Being Home For The Holidays

Reilly Marzen

As a lover of all things Christmas, I notice the changes in holiday traditions and other tiny aspects of the holiday season. Being in college for a good part of the Christmas season is obviously going to be different, which is unfortunate when those little parts of the season are what make it so great. There are many cool things that come along with being in college during the holidays, such as spending more time with friends than usual. But it's still a bit sad when traditions change. These differences are not the end of the whole, but they do change the holiday feeling just a little bit.

1. You 're not with your family for a good part of it.

Giphy

Coming from a family that has a TON of family-based holiday traditions, it's definitely weird not being home for some of them. For example, the weekend after Thanksgiving, my dad would play Christmas music really loud to wake the whole family up. While sometimes it does interfere with my sleep, it's always a nice introduction into the fuzzy feeling of the holiday season.

2. When it's freezing outside, you still have to DO STUFF instead of wrapping yourself in blankets and watching a movie.

Giphy

This is the WORST! I for one despise the cold and want nothing to do with it, which is funny considering I'm from the Northeast. However, when I go home, at least I can relax and cuddle up in blankets when it's freezing outside. At school, especially during finals season, there's so much to do, and you have to walk in the frigid air to get there! Not a fan.

3. Speaking of the cold, it's absolutely frigid outside, yet there's no snow. Thanks, North Carolina

Giphy

Seriously, what is with the lack of snow? I understand that it doesn't snow as often down here, but if the temperature is already below freezing, why not just throw some flurries in there? No wonder it doesn't feel like Christmas season yet.

4. "Holiday season" doesn't sound as exciting when it directly overlaps with "FINALS season"

Giphy

It's really not fair that finals happen around this time too. This further limits the ability to actually enjoy the holiday season because everyone is too stressed out about the upcoming papers and projects and tests they have to take. It's a crime against nature.

5. It doesn't smell like Christmas anywhere!

Giphy

Another thing about the South... where are the pine trees? Pine trees are what make the air smell so fantastic when it gets cold out, and it makes me excited for the upcoming holidays. Without them, it just smells like nothingness.

6. Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas aren't a priority anymore

Giphy

Remember the good old days when you would finish your dinner and the entire family would watch a Christmas movie together. Yeah, that doesn't happen in college. You can't even do it by yourself with all of the homework you have to get done.

7. Gift exchanges aren't as popular because everyone is on a college student's budget

Giphy

The holidays are also expensive! Everything costs money. My friends in college love each other very much but we're living on college student budgets, meaning that we can't buy presents for everyone. It's the thought that counts though.

8. "Christmas parties" have a different meaning

Giphy

A Christmas party in college is way different than a Christmas party at home. Christmas party at home means dressing up fancy, decorating the house extravagantly. and serving hors d'oeuvres to the guests. In college, "Christmas party" means wearing a red crop-top to go out to a frat party where they're playing rap remixes to the best holiday classics. It's still quite an experience, just very different from home.

9. There's not as much time for all of the fun holiday traditions, like decorating your room or baking cookies.

Giphy

Again with finals limiting the time for fun holiday activities. Instead of making those fun store-bought holiday sugar cookies and decorating a tiny tree for the living room, I have to study. Not fun.

Report this Content

This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Essex County, NJ

447

Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

finals

Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

University of Dayton

2074

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

26 Things to Thank Our Roommates For

Who knows where we would be without them.

Michigan State University

1385

StableDiffusion

Where do we begin when we start talking about our roommates? You practically spend every moment with them, they become your second family and they deal with you at your best and at your absolute worst. They are there to make you laugh just a little harder, cry a little less and make each day a little better. We often forget to thank them for the little things that they do to make college even a tiny bit easier and more fun. This list of 26 things are what you should thank your roommates for right this minute and every day that you live with them.

Keep Reading...Show less

roommates

Entertainment

Disney magic for New Year!

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Butler University

7227

Disney magic kingdom castle on new years

StableDiffusion

Disney movies are well known and very popular in today's world. Although many people appreciate the plot and the storyline, not many people appreciate the wisdom these characters possess. Every Disney movie has unique advice that can be applied to everyday life. Here are 11 Disney quotes to help start your New Year off right:

Keep Reading...Show less

disney movies

Recommended for you

9 Ways That Celebrating Christmas In College Is Different From Being Home For The Holidays

It's a little sad when traditions change.

1. You 're not with your family for a good part of it.

2. When it's freezing outside, you still have to DO STUFF instead of wrapping yourself in blankets and watching a movie.

3. Speaking of the cold, it's absolutely frigid outside, yet there's no snow. Thanks, North Carolina

4. "Holiday season" doesn't sound as exciting when it directly overlaps with "FINALS season"

5. It doesn't smell like Christmas anywhere!

6. Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas aren't a priority anymore

7. Gift exchanges aren't as popular because everyone is on a college student's budget

8. "Christmas parties" have a different meaning

9. There's not as much time for all of the fun holiday traditions, like decorating your room or baking cookies.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Phase One: The “I got this” phase

Phase Two: The “I have time” phase

Phase Three: The uncontrollable sobbing phase

Phase Four: The “help me, I've fallen and I can't get up” phase

Phase Five: The rejoicing phase

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

Subscribe to our
Newsletter