Christmas is the most wonderful year, and that's true no matter who you ask. But, it's extra special when you're talking to a college student about it. It's not because they suddenly turn into Buddy the Elf after a few months away on a college campus. It's just because they learn how to appreciate the little things a little bit more. In fact, all of those little things that used to annoy them or frustrate them are suddenly some of the most important things in the world to them, because they've realized how much they've taken for granted. So, when it comes to Christmas Spirit, college kids tend to have a little bit extra to pass around.
1. The Work
Decorating the Christmas tree, untangling hundreds of lights to hang around the house, spending hours fiddling with pieces to a village set, and spending entire days baking cookies, college kids are always eager to do whatever they can to make their home seem like a Winter Wonderland. That's because colleges tend to go above and beyond to get students into the Christmas spirit, but it's never anything close to what their traditions are. So, when they're blaring Christmas music as they dance around in their Christmas pajamas turning the house into Santa's Workshop, just remember that they've been sitting in a dorm room longing for Christmas ever since they went back for Thanksgiving.
2. The Cheesiness
Give them an ugly Christmas sweater. They'll wear it with pride to a Christmas party with all of the people they graduated with who they swore they never wanted to see again when they packed up their car to move into their dorm room. Take a million pictures, and their oversized smile will be genuine, because there are people around catering to them. Make them sit through a Christmas movie that they've seen a thousand times, but they'll enjoy it because they're cramming what used to be a month's worth of Christmas Cheer into about a week and a half.
3. The Gifts
College kids don't actually need anything huge, which means that they're easy to shop for. And, they're way more excited about anything that they get. When somebody gives them a present, whether it's an envelope filled with money, a gift card, or some new clothes, they never fail to get excited over it. It's the little things that make them the most grateful.
4. The Generosity
As broke as college kids always are, they find a way to be a little extra generous around Christmas time. Whether it's from buying presents starting in August or from forcing themselves to eat in the dining hall for every meal for a month, they find a way to spoil their family members with gifts that they knew they'll freak over, because they want to prove that they're finally adults and they want everybody else to finally view them as the adults that they think they are.
5. The Food
Any food is good food to a college kid. They feast that's prepared for Christmas will be devoured by a college student, because it's all they've been hoping for since Thanksgiving. The dessert is even better. And the only thing that has them more excited than Christmas Dinner itself is knowing that they'll have leftovers to get them through when their parents aren't feeling up to cooking them three meals a day.
6. The Family
College kids have their group of friends on campus and those friends are great. They're sometimes even better than friends from high school, because college friends tend to act like family. They know that they're all they've got out there, so they have a closer bond than most friends. But, they aren't family. To a college kid, being surrounded by family is the most important thing in the world. It's not because older family members throw money at them or because they like being fawned over. It's just because they like to be made to feel important.
7. The Friends
Christmas is even better than Thanksgiving for reunion with friends from back home because there's way more time to get together. You get to be with the people who have known you ever since you're awkward, elementary school days where you had braces and glasses and thought that purple eyeliner with bright blue eyeshadow was the coolest thing in the world. Being surrounded by the friends who understand you is what really gets you in the Christmas spirit.
