One of the major changes of living as a full-time college student is spending a majority of the holiday season away from home. Ever since I was little, Christmas has been my favorite season. Christmas not only brings giving, hot chocolate, and the most sentimental movies for me, but the season has remained the one season a year that my family has always come together. My dad works as a full-time musician, so it’s hard to see him around during the year. However, during Christmas time, my family has always made an effort to make new traditions with each other. Going to church every Christmas Eve, watching A Christmas Story every Christmas morning after opening our presents, and going to the Christmas tree lighting at our local mall are a few traditions that have carried on through the years. As the years go on, the traditions stay but the feeling of joy seems harder to find as things change. Being away from home for a majority of the season makes it hard to get in the spirit since I am away from the many things that have been apart of the holiday season; my family and my home. However, one major lesson I have learned during this time of year is to find joy in the small things!
Share Your Traditions with Your Friends
Sharing traditions with friends gives you the opportunity to bring home to your college campus! One tradition I brought from home is baking cookies and watching Christmas movies. It is a simple and fun way to relax with friends and feel the Christmas spirit. The more time you spend at college, the more you realize that all the people you meet make it feel like home. You find your people and they become your family when you are far from your own. Talking about your traditions from home and finding a way to incorporate them into your college life makes the holiday’s less lonely! I hope all of you get the opportunity to share something so special to your personal life to the ones you love.
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You Learn To Find Joy Where You Can
December for college students means finals, which causes an intense amount of stress. The stress from our work and finals fills our spirit and keeps us from feeling all the joy Christmas brings. Even though it is good to value our classes and grades, it is important to take a step back and realize what Christmas is about. Spending time with people who you enjoy being around, small gift exchanges, and enjoying the last month of the year. Being at college gives students the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and teaches you to spread holiday cheer by being the joy for others. The joy that Christmas gives me is my way of spreading happiness to my friends and reminding them that I will make college their new home.
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As a college student, I have learned to find joy in what I have. I know that looking back on my college career I will be happy to tell my children about the Christmas traditions I made with all of my college roommates. Going to Target every week to find new holiday decorations in the dollar section, buying food for all of our club potlucks, and finding time to all sit down and watch love island together (holiday movies, I don’t know her), and the times we scrambled to buy last-minute gifts for each other. You make new traditions at your new home and hope that one day you can share those with your own family. No matter how you spend the holidays this year, I hope you spend it with those that you love.
– Sia