It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to write for this week's Odyssey article. I really wanted to write something about the holidays and Christmas, since this would be my last chance to do so before everyone moved on to reading articles reflecting on 2016 and looking forward to 2017. However, I have been so busy studying for final exams, writing final papers, and working on my final group projects that I have not really had a chance to think about Christmas. So, I decided that I should just write about something that was born out of the union between the spirit of the holidays and the stress of finals.

December is a complicated time for college students. For most of us, December is the end of our fall semester, so we are studying, researching, and writing so that we can just barely pass all of our classes. A lot of us put everything off until the last minute, so we’re working harder and sleeping less than we should. I mean, we really don't want to put homework and assignments off that long-- there are just some extenuating circumstances. We're busy with our part-time jobs, or our fraternities really demanded a lot out of us this semester, or we had families that really wanted us to spend time with them, or we found this really funny YouTuber and just had to go through their entire playlist.

So, while Christmas music plays on the radio and our families ask us when we are going to visit, we are engulfed in piles of reading material, our eyes are tired from staring at laptop screens, and the rest of our bodies are tired from pulling all-nighters. But we still have to do something in the holiday spirit. We have to celebrate and be festive to avoid falling into the despair of finals without any hope of escape. We wear Christmas sweaters and Santa hats, we bake cake and cookies between studying, and we watch holiday specials while writing our papers. We also go Christmas shopping on the weekends when we are not too busy, but that proves to be a bad idea in more than one way. For one thing, we waste our time wandering around large malls when we could be studying or writing, getting us closer to that A+ or 100 percent. Still, the joy and relaxation of shopping is just the break we need so we do not lose our minds cooped up in our rooms with books and note cards. There is also the whole “broke college student” stereotype that is more fact than fiction. We want to buy the best gifts for our family and best friends, but we have tuition and the occasional lunch to pay for. But the thought of our friends and family smiling and laughing with joy is enough to make the pain in our wallets worth it.

And then finals week finally arrives-- that last push for freedom. We just have to turn in those last papers and assignments and do some last minute studying before walking into those classrooms, grabbing our exams, and accepting our fate. Once all is said and done, we rest, and rest, and rest, until we awaken with festive joy. It is really incredible how, as college students, we can be worn out and stressed in one moment, and then shining with holiday cheer in the next. Maybe we should be thankful for our finals for putting into perspective how great the Christmas and holiday season really is, and making us appreciate this time of year even more than any other time in our lives. So, whether you have just finished finals or are in the thick of it, have a merry Christmas and happy holidays!