In college, the first few weeks of December become more about preparing for finals than preparing for the holidays. Having no time to devote to fun seasonal activities can make some of us feel as grouchy as Scrooge. However, it is entirely possible to get into the holiday spirit without taking even a minute away from your studies. Read on for some easy modifications to your daily routine that will help you embrace the holiday season during what is left of the last week of classes, without compromising your grades!
7:00 AM
It is impossible to be in a merry mood when you were just taken out of a great dream by your alarm clock going off at 7 in the morning, right? Well, on your iPhone, try substituting your favorite Christmas song for that annoying beeping alarm and you will start off the day with sweet holiday sounds.
7:30 AM
Instead of putting on the same leggings and sweatshirt combo that we tend to fall back on during this hectic time in the semester, pick out a more seasonal outfit. Pair a cute Christmas sweater with your leggings or simply try to find something in festive colors. Any sign of the holidays coming and exams ending lifts all of our spirits, so this is a effortless way to spread happiness and cheer to more people than just yourself.
8:30 AM
After dragging yourself out of bed and heading to the Dunkin’ Donuts in the Student Union to get your coffee (hopefully before the line becomes too outrageously long), instead of your usual order, we challenge you to try the Mint Hot Chocolate as your morning pick me up instead. This drink is basically Christmas in a cup and will remind you of what time of year it is with each sip you take.
12:00 PM
South Dining Hall is a great place to grab some good food for lunch while taking in beautiful holiday decorations at the same time. South is currently decked out with a fully decorated Christmas tree as well as small yet cute decorations and displays at different food stations.
2:00 PM
After your classes end for the day, instead of going back to your dorm room to study, take your work to the study lounge in the Student Union and sit in one of the chairs that faces their big Christmas tree. After all, in those moments when you’re spacing out or trying to brainstorm ideas for an essay, staring at a festive tree is much more pleasant (and inspiring) than staring at a wall!
2:30 PM
If you are the type of person who benefits from listening to music while getting your work done, take a break from your usual playlist to listen to some holiday songs. Pandora has holiday stations that cater to every musical taste. We recommend the “Christmas Radio” station, which has classic songs that are sure to be festive background noise for your studying. Or, you can always listen to one of the Christmas albums by Michael Bublé (who is basically the voice of Christmas). His latest album, Christmas, is available for free on YouTube.
3:30 PM
When you feel satisfied with the amount of work you have accomplished, reward yourself with a study break and a sweet treat. Stop by The Blue Cow (located in the Student Union) and order the Peppermint Stick ice cream for a delicious seasonal dessert. Force yourself to forget about calories and nutrition for 20 minutes because you’ve earned it.
5:00 PM
We all pretty much hate how early it gets dark this time of year, but the benefit is that by 5pm, we can take in the beautiful lights that have been up around campus since we returned from Thanksgiving break. Whether you are on your way to dinner or going back to your dorm from class, take the time to notice and admire the lights and take a photo or two. Set one of the photos you take as your phone’s wallpaper so that whenever you go to use it, you are reminded of how beautiful UConn really is during the month of December. Finals aside, it is a great place to be in these weeks leading up to the holidays.
11:00 PM
After you’ve closed the books for the day, and turned off the light, the natural thing for a lot of us to do is think and worry about all we have to do the next day while lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Instead, be kinder to yourself and use the quiet time to brainstorm gift ideas for your friends and family. Many people are able to think clearest when in bed at night so there is a good possibility that a great idea might come to you. This is a much more productive approach than aimlessly browsing through dozens of websites just to realize you wasted an hour and a half that you could have spent studying! And maybe then, you will drift off to sleep with visions of a merry Christmas dancing in your head!
Happy Holidays Collegiettes!