December as a college student is one of the most frustrating months of the year. Everything is supposed be jolly and happy because of the holidays, but the stress and busyness of the last weeks of the semester/finals week are enough to take the spirit right out of you (that is, if you let it.) The days are literally getting shorter, which proves to be a negative for productivity levels (at least for me), because once it gets dark my brain immediately is ready for bed. December is just a confusing month to be in college for, but it's also super imperative for the semester, which is why it's so conflicting for so many students who want to feel festive but also finish with a bang.

1. When you and your friends refuse to admit that Thanksgiving break is over.

2. Realizing the amount of work you have to do before you can leave for break and feeling the weight of it 24/7 while also trying to be as merry as possible.

3. Listening to professors try to pack in everything they can into their last few lectures as well as talk about final grades and projects.

4. Getting ready to go in for final presentations/studying for finals like:

5. Getting excited when Christmas movies come on TV and holiday decorations go up, officially signaling the holiday season.

6. Realizing all of your other responsibilities are piling up because of end-of-the-semester stress.

7. Feeling torn between cleaning, writing a paper, watching "Elf", and making the effort to not procrastinate while also trying to make December as festive as possible.

8. Getting back to your room and realizing that the eight hours you just spent in the library didn't even cover a quarter of the things you have to do before you get to go home.

9. When the professor says the final is cumulative.

10. That moment when you leave your room/the library after hours of rigorous studying:

11. When you write the last word of your last essay of the semester.

12. Walking into your first final like:

13. Then looking at the test like:

14. The moment when you can finally return your textbooks.

15. Saying goodbye to your friends/roommates before break.

16. Finally getting home and sitting on the couch, holidays in sight with another semester under your belt.