It can be hard to get into the Christmas mood when there are only two weeks left of school, finals are approaching, and you are a broke college student that can't afford many Christmas decorations.
However, the good news is, not all hope is lost, as there are some ways to get into the Christmas spirit despite the factors that are seemingly working against you.
A good way to start is to tune into your local radio station that supplies the Christmas music, or to organize your own personal Christmas music playlist on your favorite streaming service/music library. Listening to Christmas music is one sure fire way to get yourself feeling ready for Christmas. Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You inevitably puts you in the Christmas mood, whether you want to be or not.
Another way to get into the Christmas spirit is to tune into the TV channels that play Christmas movies for the entirety of December (i.e. The Hallmark Channel and Freeform/ABC Family). Watching Elf never fails to put one in a cheery mood. Last year, my roommates and I would leave ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas on our TV for the whole day during finals week and it drastically improved all of our moods.
Drink hot chocolate. There's nothing that screams Christmas more than drinking hot chocolate. And if you're feeling really Christmas-y, you can watch a Christmas movie while drinking hot chocolate. It's a win-win.
Wear Christmas sweaters. This is honestly the best and most simple way to get into the Christmas spirit. Purchase the tackiest sweater you can find and you're all set. Plus, it's the ideal article of clothing for when the Christmas parties roll around. And honestly, you can never really have too many.
Go see Christmas lights. There are plenty of events that showcase Christmas tree-lightings or that show different light displays. It's such an easy, cute, and festive way to get involved in the holidays. In addition, the light displays and tree lightings are always pretty sights to see.
Buy Christmas gifts for your friends and family. You don't have to go all out though, of course. I know we are all struggling to get by with $5 in our bank accounts as it is. But just getting simple yet cute gifts for those that matter goes a long way. Some simple but cheap gifts can include bath and body works items, accessories such as fuzzy socks or scarves, or even some Christmas scented candles.
Decorate your room. While it's understandable that we all can't afford nor fit a regular sized Christmas tree or full-size decorations in our rooms at school, there are still smaller and cheaper decorations you can get to help your room look and feel a little more Christmas-y. For instance, hanging twinkling Christmas lights around your room or getting a miniature Christmas tree. There are also dollar priced decorations sold at the Dollar Tree that are perfect for college dorms and apartments.
While it is hard to get into the proper Christmas mood with so much stress and work still ahead, there are little things that one can do to help further the process and make the best of the dreadful, test-filled final weeks of school. Just envelope yourself in all the Christmas activities that you can for the time being, and get through the rest of the semester. The time where you can just sit and relax by the fire and the Christmas tree with A Christmas Story playing in the background is just around the corner.
