How to keep the Christmas magic alive for Warwick students: A guide

When I think of Christmas, I think of being a child. I remember the ever mounting excitement as the months changed from October to November. By the time it finally reached December, I’d be too excited to even sleep and would, most mornings, end up waking up before five. That seems impossible considering I now struggle to get up before 11. This excitement, however, is something I seem to have lost as I’ve gotten older. It’s difficult to muster up any holiday cheer when you’re stressed out of your mind about assignments but I think it’s still important to try. Although Christmas can never truly be divorced from its religious beginnings, nowadays it largely serves the purpose of brightening up the darker, more miserable days of the year- or at least, that’s what I think.

I’m not someone who fairs well in the winter months, maybe it’s the lack of sun or maybe it’s the mini midlife crisis as I look back on another year gone, but it always leaves me feeling exhausted. The fact that Christmas, however, lurks on the horizon always makes me feel a little bit better and the rituals and traditions associated with it never fail to make everything slightly brighter. Here are some recommendations for getting through- and hopefully, enjoying- the holiday season, even with exams and upcoming deadlines on the horizon!

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I wanted to start this article with something really obscure but in the end I have had to concede that sometimes the best bits about Christmas are also the most obvious. Christmas songs, at least the good ones, always put me in a festive mood. It’s the same for Christmas films as well- I have a few favourites that I rewatch every year that, at this point, I don’t think I’d be able to survive without seeing. Apart from firm favourites and holiday classics, Christmas is also a time to indulge in some bad TV. I have fond memories of sitting on the sofa watching rubbish with my mum. I know spending a few hours watching films or listening to music may sound impossible with university deadlines but I think even listening to a few songs whilst on a walk, or watching a Christmas special, can really help to destress. I’m someone who is very prone to stress, especially when it comes to exams, and I found having an hour a day dedicated to doing nothing has really helped me. This November, I started rewatching old Dr Who Christmas specials which had the added bonus of making me excited for the holidays.

Image via youtube

Christmas playlists

If a break genuinely isn’t feasible, an alternative would be to try to incorporate Christmas into your studies. There are plenty of study playlists online that are Christmas or winter themed, from music to make you feel like you’re skating on a frozen lake to  loops of crackling fires. I love to study with music- specifically classical music, I’m too distracted by anything else- and I find these kinds of playlists really useful. At the best of times, studying can be depressing but in December with deadlines approaching and it getting dark in the early afternoon, it can really get depressing. These playlists that  are so varied and often strangely specific can be a really good help both to gather enough motivation and to actually commit to studying. In the last week of term, feeling too ill, and to be honest too sorry for myself to walk to the library, I spent a good few nights listening to a Peanuts themed Christmas playlist whilst I worked on an essay and while I can’t describe it as a completely enjoyable experience, I will say it did help to put me in a christmassy mood (and make me excited to finally get my essay finished.)

Hot drinks and hot water bottles

Sometimes, it’s the small things that can mean a lot. Christmas isn’t all about gifts and soulless capitalist drivel, often it’s the small, unremarkable details that make this holiday. From study playlists to advent calendars, these little things can mean a lot and this is what I have in mind when I mention this next tip- staying warm. I know this may sound unachievable in Britain during December but even just a hot water bottle and a warm drink can make such a difference. Christmas may be associated with snowmen and icicles but the cold weather can certainly be discouraging, especially when the snow so often happens to turn into grey miserable sludge. A hot water bottle makes any situation better and to be honest, it reminds me of being at home. There are few things better than being nice and warm inside while the world outside remains cold and miserable. If you take nothing else from this article, invest in a hot water bottle!

Garden Centres

Despite this, Christmas isn’t all about being huddled up indoors, for me, a lot of my memories associated with this holiday are outside. Some of these are miserable (being forced to go on a family walk at seven in the morning comes to mind) but others are positive- specifically  trips to the garden centre. Some of my favourite Christmas memories take place inside a garden centre- I appreciate that this makes me sound a bit sad but the beauty of a good display at Christmas can not be underrated. From displays of baubles that encompass every colour of the rainbow to huge plastic reindeer that always end up being more expensive than most cars, a garden centre at Christmas is always enjoyable. The displays can range from being fantastic to, well, not, but they’re always fun. Garden centre Christmas displays have no obligation to be classy or even good for that matter and I think that captures something at the heart of Christmas: that, in truth, it’s a bit silly. Although, often associated with the elderly, I’d recommend it for students too- a visit to a garden centre is free and generally good fun. Another good thing about garden centres (I apologise for the way this article has fully been derailed by my love for garden centres) is the atmosphere. Normally empty, at Christmas they swell with life and there’s nothing that’ll remind you to love your fellow man like smiling at a stranger as you try to get past them to reach the baubles. Christmas, ultimately, is about community- whether that’s family, friends or complete and utter strangers.

Togetherness

Any other tips I have for the Christmas season are linked to this: don’t let yourself be alone. I know it can be tempting with all these deadlines and upcoming essays to shut yourself in your room and work/ procrastinate from dawn to dusk but at a certain point you have to stop to play board games with your family or have a Christmas dinner with your friends. Christmas is best when spent with other people: a fact that stays the same no matter how old you get.

I don’t think I’ll ever have that same excitement for Christmas that I had when I was a child but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still enjoy it. There are so many things that make this time of year so special, from the deeper and more meaningful, like spending time with family, to the comparatively silly, like garden centres and cute christmassy playlists. Even bogged down with essays and having to spend half the day in darkness, I think there is still a chance to enjoy December and everything it brings with it. Whether you’re going to try any of my tricks or keep to your own traditions, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.