Let’s be honest. As soon as Halloween is over, we’re all rushing to make our Christmas playlists. While the holiday cheer is alive and well in our hearts, we can’t help but think about the dreaded fall term exams, perfectly placed right before Christmas. While I am extremely grateful that exams are “done and over with” before Christmas, it’s hard to find a balance between feeling festive and getting through exam season.
We all constantly reminisce about Christmas as a kid and never fail to bring up how every year feels further and further away from that childhood magic. Picking out the perfect Christmas tree with your family, decorating the house from head to toe, and making that list of exactly which new sparkly and neon clothes from Justice you hoped for is what made Christmas so unforgettable. As a young adult, it’s hard to compare the magic that your parents made Christmas out to be while you are stuck thinking about the 5 final exams, 4 long readings, 3 final projects, 2 essays, and 1 mental breakdown that are coming up. Why is it that it seems everyone else is living their best lives, preparing for Christmas, while you are spending every last minute of your day thinking about schoolwork, in the library, until the late hours of the night? I’m already losing sleep just thinking about exams!
While it may seem that everyone around you has it together, they certainly don’t. Everyone else is just like you, wishing this exam season would go away, but also trying to live in the moment to make this experience fun and memorable. Do you ever think about the questions your kids might ask you about this time in your life and that you’ll have nothing to say but, “I worked a lot”? It’s a difficult pill to swallow, realizing that going to university really means immersing yourself in the university experience. It’s essential that during this time you remind yourself why you are here! Just think of all the great things that lie ahead of you, as your reward for four very complicated and difficult years of getting through your undergraduate degree.
It’s also just as important that you practice gratitude and remind yourself of the advantages of university, and the joy of the Christmas season! Make University the grounds for being your best academic self, while also building lasting memories with your friends for Christmas 2023. Find ways to embrace activities that can give you a break from the studying mindset to look back on this as a productive, but fun time.
Force yourself to get out of your room and hang out with your friends instead of laying in your bed, scrolling through TikTok, and wishing you were doing the work you aren’t doing. Accept that it’s okay to fuel your body and your soul, by doing things that make you happy. It’s definitely easier said than done, but it’s possible to do with the right mindset. Decorate a gingerbread house, make Christmas list Pinterest boards with your roommates, set up a Christmas tree in your student house, dance around to Christmas music in your living room, and soak up these good times, even if it seems like they are few and far between.
Aside from all of these lively experiences to take part in, think about all that is waiting for you at home while you cry yourself to sleep! Just kidding! Go to sleep dreaming about all the love you’ll experience as soon as your last exam is over, and you pack up to head home for a wonderful, relaxing winter break! I am already jumping for joy at the thought of my hometown covered in a blanket of snow, decorated with colourful bright lights, wreaths, and ribbon. I’ve never been more excited for those last-minute shopping trips to the busy mall, snuggling with my precious dog, drives with my parents to look at all the spectacular Christmas lights, and baking cookies with my best friends.
While you don’t want to wish this precious time at university away, if thinking about what lies ahead helps you cope and get through this last push, let yourself do that! Whether you are watching a Christmas movie with your roommates every few days or pulling all-nighters and basically calling the library your second home, make the best of it! Make sure to be a light to others around you to allow yourself to get into that Christmas spirit, but also to experience the warm feeling of spreading love. It may not seem like much, but showing some kindness by doing a few good deeds will make a drastic change in your day-to-day life.
You are not alone. Even if you can’t find the time to spend hours baking with friends, taking walks, and soaking up some sunlight, make sure you still make time to do the little things like saying hello to people walking by, doing some deep breathing and mindfulness exercises, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with a friend, listening to music, and laughing. Reach out to your friends or family back home and keep celebrating those you love. Soak up those good feelings and don’t let your emotions or stress build up and take over. You’ve got this!