"Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh" and chill?
While many people associate the time of the holidays in pop culture with Christmas music and Hallmark movie specials, as I kid growing up in the 2000s, I always looked forward to the different television specials my favorite shows on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network had in store.
Grab some hot cocoa and put on your comfy pants because the nostalgia you'll feel from thinking about these episodes will make you want to spend your holiday reliving your childhood:
Going to the gym and working out on a daily basis (with breaks once in awhile) has been a great way for me to feel good about myself. It is 100% more than just looking good. Especially after starting college and having the stress and anxiety of tests, assignments, and just figuring out my future, the gym at my school has definitely been a place of relief for me and I have numerous reasons of why everyone should push themselves to get to the gym when they can.
This sounds completely dangerous, but really if you're doing any cardio that doesn't require holding on, you can definitely take a notebook with you to study. When I first saw it, I thought it was crazy, but when you need to take every minute of every day to study anatomy, you'll definitely want to try reading some notes on the treadmill or something.
DEFINITELY the main reason I go to the gym. Nothing is better than getting all your anger out and somehow miraculously running a six minute mile. After going to classes, getting a good workout in helps clear your mind.
Of course after several gym trips, you may be able to see a physical difference in your body, but aside from that, you also feel a sense of accomplishment. That plus the endorphins that are released, just make you feel so much better about yourself. You're making yourself stronger physically as well as mentally.
In my time of visiting of colleges in high school, I have never been to a school that did not have a free gym included with your tuition. Take advantage of that. You're in college, so you're going to love free stuff. Appreciate it now because after these 4 years of college, you'll either start paying for a membership or doing at home workouts.
Starting homework after not being productive all day is very rough. After a good workout though, you will feel motivated and productive and it will be easier to push yourself to get your work done. A body in motion stays in motion and one at rest will stay at rest, so after binge watching Netflix all day, you probably won't feel like starting your work.
Whether you're doing it for your physical or mental health, it is definitely a great idea to get to the gym when you can. College is a great opportunity to create a balance of laziness and productiveness. Force your friends to go with you and you can all look and feel better in every way possible!
Sometimes you need a break. A break from school, studying, work, anything that life throws at you. We are all guilty of binge watching a show that we just cannot get enough of. I know that I've gotten so fixated on a show that there have been entire days that I have day-dreamed about getting home and watching a particular show. Next time you find yourself having an urge to binge watch a series be sure, to check out the following.
Shameless, a Showtime original series, has given me hours of entertainment. About a dysfunctional family living in the South side of Chicago, this series is sure to keep pulling you in episode after episode.
Surely, by now, you have watched Gilmore Girls but if you haven't then you should ASAP. Lorelai and Rory's witty banter is brilliant.
Friends is of course a classic that will never get old.
This show is about a family of vampires that will do whatever it takes to protect their family. It is full of thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole season.
Parenthood takes a closer look at a huge family and its different dynamics. Everyone is sure to find a character that they personally relate within the show.
This HBO series is brilliant. This program that shows the lives of young adults in NYC is sure to grab your attention.
Providing us with unique, thrilling and horrifying seasons, it is easy to lose yourself in this one.
Telling the story of Pablo Escobar, Netflix hit it out of the part with this enticing original series.
The cult following of this show is insane. Just be prepared to lose your favorite character.
Telling the story of over-privileged teens/young adults in NYC, this show pulls you in and shows you a world all its own.
Oh college, lovely, lovely college. A four-year time span that is filled with many highs and many lows. Between procrastinating on an essay that is due at midnight to getting your first library card (if you know what I mean), college is a time that you should not take for granted, yet it is also a time where you feel like your entire world is falling apart. It is a time where one day you can feel like you are on top of the world and then the next day you are 500 feet below the ground surface.
But once you take a look back at a semester, despite all of the stress and anxiety that the endless amount of work causes you to have, you get to realize how lucky you are to be where you are surrounded by the friends and memories that you have made.
So without further ado, here are some #relatable GIFs that every college students can relate to:
So you're finally finished with your semester and you really need to decompress from it, but you're also feeling the time crunch because Christmas is like ten days away and you haven't even gotten to do anything fun and festive yet. No worries! Fortunately, there are several festive things you can do to help put the stress far behind you. You can also make some of your usual favorite things to do Christmasy. Basically, you're winning.
If you still don't have your Christmas decorations up, you're about to miss your opportunity. Not to mention, lifting boxes and hanging ornaments and stockings is a really nice change of pace from sitting around and studying.
If you're so mentally dead that all you can do is sit and watch movies, then check out some Hallmark Christmas movies. They're easy to follow and will leave you with a major case of the warm fuzzies. I recommend my personal favorite, A Royal Christmas. If Hallmark movies aren't your jam, there are several good versions of The Grinch, A Christmas Carol, and Its A Wonderful Life out there for your enjoyment. And of course, there's always Elf, Holiday Inn, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone.
If you love reading for pleasure and that's your way of chilling out, you've got plenty of good options for festive literature. Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is always a classic, but there are plenty of others out there that require less brain power.
*spiking with alcohol optional*
I know that this can sometimes be stressful, but it's another way to change from having to sit around and study. Not to mention that it has to get done at some point. If you're crafty, make them!
Once you've bought all of your presents, you'll have to wrap them. If you're someone who uses crafting to relax, this one is for you! There are all kinds of ways to make Christmas gifts beautiful and most of them are fairly simple.
If you've been missing your time with your favorite show while you were studying yourself to death but still want to be festive, watch the Christmas episodes. Nearly every show out there has at least one or two, so if your favorite isn't one of them, you have plenty of others to choose from.
This one is great because you can pair it with several of the things on this list. Just run a bunch of hot water, add your favorite bath bombs and such (festive scents optional), light a candle or twelve (again festive scents optional), and proceed to relax with your favorite songs/books/shows/movies.
Sometimes, the only way to really get rid of your remaining stress about finals is to jam to really loud music - make it festive with some Christmas songs!
If driving around and looking at Christmas lights isn't an enjoyable activity for you, then I'm pretty sure we couldn't be friends. It's a fun and relaxing way to just sit back and enjoy beautiful things.
If you love to bake, then this one is a no-brainer for you. Even if you or your people are on a diet, homemade Christmas cookies are always a good thing to toss into a gift to give it that little extra personal touch.
Christmas is another one of those holidays that's dedicated to being with family among other things. So hang out with them as a way to relax and celebrate the spirit of the season.
And, as always:
When I was learning how to talk, I was taught both Portuguese and English at the same time. In elementary school, I started taking mandatory Spanish classes, which I did well in because of my knowledge of Portuguese. Then in high school, on top of taking Spanish, I also started taking French. Now, in college, already fluent in English and Portuguese, I'm in the process of becoming fluent in Spanish, and I have a standard high school level understanding of French.
All my life there has been many people who been involved in a variety of languages. My mom is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. I remember her trying to learn Arabic when I was younger and she used to know German. My dad is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish while managing well enough with English. My step mom is fluent in Spanish and English, and has learned Portuguese since dating my father. Because of them and others, my environment has always been conducive to learning multiple languages.
Up until I started working in high school, I took all of this for granted. However, I soon learned there were significant benefits to knowing more than just English. Anyone that knows one or more languages than English understands how satisfying these reasons are.
At work, on the streets, in a grocery store, or literally anywhere else, there are moments when people who don't speak English struggles with their surroundings. Trying to speak to someone who doesn't understand their native language, looking for directions, or asking for help with something becomes difficult for them and frustrating. For example, I was on break at work once and while passing the food station, a man was trying to order a meal in Spanish. The cashier didn't understand Spanish and saw me passing by, so he asked me to help since he knew I understood and spoke Spanish. It's always made me feel really great being able to help others through using other languages.
This definitely includes when they're talking about you. The feeling of satisfaction and self-pride when you can shock people by pointing out that, "hey I know exactly what you're saying about me," is probably my favorite reason on this list. It's also really fun hearing people gossiping about others, whether you know who those other people are or not. You could be in a completely normal setting, like a hair salon, and one haircut later, you know all about how your hairdresser's sister just got divorced and now there's a nasty custody battle going on to see who gets the kids. It's highly entertaining to hear about the lives of others without them knowing, even if we're aware that it's kind of messed up and makes us seem nosy.
This is heard all the time when our parents, teachers, and advisers tell us we need to learn a foreign language in school. Sure it gets annoying to hear, but it's also really true. Knowing languages can open up more job opportunities because employers look for people who can either bring a more diverse group to them or who can keep up with the diverse group they already have coming in. Most jobs can be helped or expanded through the knowledge of other languages, and some even have it as a job requirement. Knowing more than just the English language puts you at a higher advantage than other applicants.
When you go to a foreign country and find someone that speaks English, it's the best feeling in the world. You don't feel so alone anymore! The same thing applies to when people from foreign countries or when people who don't speak English come here. It feels like they've finally found something familiar in a sea of the unknown. Knowing languages also allows for you to connect to more people through also learning their culture. Cultures all over the world are vast and unique, and by connecting to someone through their language, you're able to discuss the culture of their country and can compare it to your own culture. It's always really intriguing learning about the experiences others have had in their homelands, and being told about those experiences brings you closer to those people.
Obviously, this depends on where you go, but if you go somewhere that you know the language, then it holds true. Besides relaxing by the beach, one of the top things people do when they're on vacation is going sightseeing. At one time or another (or maybe every vacation), it happens that you get lost while on your way to places you're dying to see. Having trouble communicating in a foreign country is one of the biggest worries when traveling, besides safety. No need to worry about that anymore when you understand the language can read road signs and maps, and can speak to natives about the culture of their country.
Songs About Being 17
Grey's Anatomy Quotes
Vine Quotes
4 Leaf Clover
Self Respect
1. Brittany Morgan, National Writer's Society
2. Radhi, SUNY Stony Brook
3. Kristen Haddox, Penn State University
4. Jennifer Kustanovich, SUNY Stony Brook
5. Clare Regelbrugge, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
