Thanksgiving is over, so that means the holiday season is officially here. It's now appropriate to blast the Michael Bublé Christmas album and curl up by the fire with some hot chocolate. But with the holiday season, there comes a price.
Every year, I struggle to come up with a Christmas wish list. I always think of things I might want throughout the year, then when someone asks me the what I want as a gift, my mind always goes blank. It’s tough to decide but this year, as a college freshman, I really thought about what I wanted: financial stability, more time, less stress and sleep.
It’s funny how much your lists change when you have a ton of new responsibilities in life. I wondered if I was the only one who felt this way. That’s why I created an anonymous survey, asking people for two bits of information: their year in school and what they really wanted for Christmas.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe everyone would say that they wanted a puppy (because who doesn’t?) or maybe they wouldn’t take the survey seriously. Surprisingly, I received a variety of answers—some were silly while others were poignant. Although many of the answers I received were tangible items, there were also a few that seemed impossible to give to someone. This survey told me a lot about college students, including what they truly value and how creative they can get with their wish lists. Here are a few of the responses I received:
1. “World peace.”
2. “Gift cards for food.”
3. “Money.”
4. “A day where I could be back in high school with all my friends again, just to relive something that was so special and won't ever happen again.”
5. “An opportunity to travel around Europe.”
6. “ The abolition of the electoral college.”
7. “Good grades.”
8. “Shoes.”
9. “Vacation time and money. I really want to travel but don't seem to have the funds.”
10. “My whole family to come together and be happy.”
11. “Love.”
12. "Warmer weather."
13. “Polaroid camera.”
14. “A nice messenger bag.”
15. “Money for bills.”
16. “ A Sense that my education is actually providing me the tools to realize myself and navigate the world on my own terms rather than contorting my aptitudes into sales pitches and sending me hurtling toward a lifetime of professional, financial and ontological precarity.”
17. “Good time with family and friends.”
18. “Scholarships.”
19. “No debt.”
20. “Lots of snow!”
21. “An Amazon gift card with a large amount of money on it.”
22. “A nice watch.”
23. “Time.”
24. “Hiking boots.”
25. “A new snowboard and pass.”
26. “A ticket to a play or a music concert. Experiential gifts are way better than material gifts.”
27. “Camera equipment.”
28. “A paid internship.”
29. “A plane ticket home.”
30. “All of the coffee in the world.”
These are only just a few of the responses I received, but I think the message behind the survey is very clear. So if you're stuck on what to get your child or friend in college, use this list to guide you (even though some of these items are a little hard to find.)
