By George Biggs
As Christmas draws nearer, it can get harder for celebrating students to enjoy the festivities. These tips can help you enjoy Christmas even if you’re away from your family.
1> Get an Advent Calendar
I get it, you’re an “adult” and you don’t “need” a daily dose of chocolate to motivate you to get out of bed… but it’s still pretty great and nostalgic… and it only costs a couple quid.
2> Decorate your House
Your student house probably doesn’t have a giant, sparkling tree in the attic but that’s okay. You can decorate your place with inexpensive bunting, tinsel and fairy lights.
3> Christmas Songs
If you can get your hands on a decent speaker, blasting out catchy Christmas tunes can light up your downstairs and bring all housemates together for a little singsong.
4> Secret Santa
Secret Santa is good for larger houses, where buying a present for everyone isn’t really feasible. There’s usually a low spend limit too, so you can buy cheap, silly prezzies.
5> Pool Money together for Bigger Presents
If you’re closer with your housemates, pooling your money with others to buy more expensive presents for your friends is a fun and wholesome idea.
6> Give Creative Presents
If splashing out isn’t really an option, creative presents can also be great. A goofy, homemade card can be hilarious and sweet. So can a present relating to some obscure in-joke.
7> Christmas Activities
Christmas Markets are great fun and commence in most cities around December. It’s a bit pricey, but there’s plenty of delicious food and novelty gifts. Ice skating rinks are also a great alternative.
8> Festive Drinks!
If your favourite pastime is drinking, well maybe you continue to do that but with a festive twist! Try making some mulled wine and sharing it out. Or you can have eggnog… if you genuinely like gross things like that…
9> Get deadlines done as early as possible
To truly enjoy this time with your friends, it would be great to have your deadlines under control. Getting stuff done earlier to free up time for festivities is a really good idea. No one really feels festive when they’re stressed out!
10> Keep in touch with family
Ultimately, Christmas is a time for family, so it’s important you reach out to them as your term draws to an end. Video call a sibling or a parent, tell them about what you’re up to, or you can chat about all the fun you’ll have once you are home.
