It may only be the first week of winter break and many of us are still reeling in all the extra time we have now that the semester is over, but you know that sooner or later you're bound to get a bit bored of sitting on your couch doing nothing but watch "Say Yes to the Dress" while eating Doritos. After all, what are you supposed to do after you finish binge watching your Netflix shows and have pretty much cleaned out all the food from your fridge? If you're like me and are already fighting the boredom (or avoiding the work you really should be doing), here are a few ideas for how to spend the remainder of your winter break:
1. Make Next Year's Christmas List
I don't know why I've never done this before, but there really isn't a better time to make a Christmas List than right after Christmas. Why? Because where a few weeks ago when everyone was asking what you want for Christmas and had no idea, you suddenly realize what you actually wanted but didn't get because you never put it on your list! Write down requests for next year now and then revisit them when people start asking you next December!
2. Make a 2017 Goal List
I'm not the first and won't be the last to agree that 2016 was not what anyone expected, but that doesn't mean that 2017 can't be so much better than this year, and it all starts with a real plan for what we might want to accomplish. New Year's Resolutions rarely work simply because we get caught up in the idea of accomplishing grand ideas, but if you sit down and make some realistic goals and a plan on how to achieve them, you're more likely to stick with it into the new year.
3. Go to the Library (or the Bookstore)
There are few things I love in life more than a good trip to the library or bookstore. Sometimes you might have an idea of what you're looking for going in, but other times it's fun to just walk around and see what you find. Some of my all time favorite books were found just wandering the aisles for an hour, and you never know what you might discover!
4. Pick Up a New Hobby
One of my favorite parts about winter break in college is the length. With a month off, it's the perfect time to discover a new hobby. Maybe you've always wanted to try your hand at photography, baking, painting or origami. It's especially easy these days with the wealth of instructional videos and articles on the internet, so go out, get some supplies and use your spare time to really get invested in a new interest.
5. Try to Make it an Hour Without Touching the Floor!
If the rest of these ideas aren't appealing to you and you really want something to waste time, pick this one. You'd be surprised how difficult this is to accomplish, and no, sitting on your couch and not moving for an hour doesn't count. Another favorite of mine is to complete my errands by only making right turns to get where I need to go, and if that still doesn't sound like fun, you always have the Internet at your disposal, and there are sure to be plenty of other suggestions on how to waste a few hours.
If you're completely lost as to how to spend your time though, you can always count down the minutes until you're back at school...and then remember how much you don't really mind being bored.
