When you are thinking about activities around Christmas, there is a good chance that gingerbread houses come to mind. Last Saturday my college's Habitat for Humanity club hosted a gingerbread house night. As I watched some of my friends build a gingerbread house, they gave me the idea that a gingerbread house is just like college. You need the proper tools to build a gingerbread house just like there are aspects to college that you need in order to have a good time.

1. The House Itself- Your Dorm

Pictured above: The house that we built last year

There is a good chance that you live in some kind of apartment,suite or double. Living in a dorm is a huge part of the college experience especially freshman year because it is often the first time people are away from home for an extended period of time.

2. The door- Your freshman year of college

One of the first things you do when building a gingerbread house is look for the door. Just like your freshman year opens you new opportunities.

3. The base of the house- Your major

We all go to college to get a degree. College is not college without classes and studying just like a gingerbread house cannot stand alone without a base

4. The glue/icing- Your true friends

Just like the icing keeps the gingerbread house together, you probably have a few friends that you have stuck with and have remained loyal to you.

5. The Windows- The challenges

You cannot see everything through a window, just like you cannot expect college to be easy. However a window can also bring in light to a dark room just like you can almost always find something positive in a difficult situation.

6. The Roof- Your Professors

Just like a roof keeps you warm and dry, professors keep you focused on why you are really in college.

7. The gumdrops/candy- All the memories

Just like the gumdrops make a gingerbread house look pretty, the memories that we make outside the classroom are what make college so amazing.