Congratulations, finals are FINALLY over. Well… for most of you. If you’re still in the trenches, I’m sending thoughts, prayers, and caffeine your way. But for everyone else who has shut their laptop for the last time this semester, there’s a weird question hanging in the air: Now what?
For weeks, your entire personality has basically been studying, complaining about studying, and ranting on social media about how your exam was nothing like the professor said it would be. You’ve been running on stress, iced coffee, and the vague hope that you’ll never have to look at your Canvas dashboard again.
Now suddenly, you have all this free time—maybe too much free time. And when your brain has been in overdrive for so long, slowing down feels almost uncomfortable. So, what do you do with yourself? How do you decompress without either collapsing into a multi-day hibernation or spiraling into the boredom void?
Here’s your winter break reset guide for getting your life, sanity, and personality back in one piece.
1. Rot (Responsibly)
The first thing you’re going to do is rot. Yes, rot. You don’t need permission at a time like this! Lie in bed, stare at the ceiling, and watch a show you don’t even like that much. Eat something right out of the container because plates are for people who still have responsibilities.
You’ve been working hard, and your brain deserves to power down like an overheating 2012 MacBook. But remember, rotting is great in moderation. A day or two of being horizontal is perfect, but a full two-week hibernation where you forget sunlight exists is… concerning. Give yourself the rest you need, not the rest that becomes an identity.
2. Reflect
Once your body has recharged enough to sit upright again, grab that journal that’s been collecting dust on your shelf. No need to write a novel, a manifesto, or a “new year, new me” speech. Just check in with yourself.
How did the semester actually go? What stressed you out the most? What surprised you? What are you proud of? And most importantly: What bad habits do you want to leave behind?
Write a few goals for the new year if you want; they don’t have to be huge or intimidating. Think simple: “drink more water,” “take walks sometimes,” “don’t wait until the morning of to start an assignment worth 50% percent of my grade.” Just enough to feel grounded instead of drifting.
3. Treat Yourself
Look. You worked for free. Studying is unpaid labor, and frankly, you deserve compensation. My go-to is buying myself a little reward the minute finals end. It doesn’t have to be expensive; it can be a cute shirt, a latte, or even a sweet treat.
Treating yourself isn’t about spending money. It’s about telling your brain, “Hey, good job staying alive this semester. Here’s something small to celebrate that.”
4. Rejoin Civilization (Friends & Family Edition)
You’ve probably been in social isolation for the past five weeks studying for that one exam, so it’ll be good to let your friends and family know that you’re alive.
Break is your chance to re-enter the world. Text the people you love. Go get dinner. Catch up. Just… avoid the dreaded question: “So how did finals go?” You don’t know. They don’t need to know. No one needs to invite that energy in.
Need a distraction from discussing grades? Go to the movies with your friends, your siblings, your parents, or even your grandma. If you haven’t seen Wicked: For Good yet, that’s basically the entire point of winter break; no further explanation needed.
5. Reconnect With Your Hobbies
Finals have a way of stripping you down to your most basic form: a tired student with no thoughts beyond deadlines. But winter break is the perfect time to remember you have interests.
Bake something fun, start a new book, or play a game you abandoned in October. Work out—because it feels good, not because you’re stressed—or try a new hobby entirely. Do something that makes you feel like a human with depth again.
Personally, I’m planning to make no-bake cookies the second I finish writing this because they sound so good right now.
At the end of the day, you made it through.
Even if finals were chaotic, even if you didn’t do as well as you hoped, even if this semester nearly took you out, you’re here. You survived, and you should be proud of yourself for that.
Winter break isn’t about perfection. It’s about resetting, resting, recharging, and remembering that you’re more than just a GPA on a screen.
You earned this time, use it however you need.