If you were to step foot into my apartment, you would probably question the holiday explosion that it has come to be.

The holiday season is my favorite time of year, and I arguably get too excited about being able to decorate my apartment when I come back from Thanksgiving break.

Not only is the time after Thanksgiving break a preparation for the December holiday season, it is also the time when mostly all students are the busiest with school work, projects, tests and presentations.

Through my everyday interactions on this campus the last few days, I have noticed a substantial decrease in campus morale since we have been back from break. Many of my friends have been complaining about their workloads, the projects and papers they have due, and even the weather and how cold it is outside.

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that it is hard to get into the festivities when all you can think about is the math exam you have the next week, or that group project where none of your partners seem to want to do the work.

However, I have found that getting into the holiday spirit and embracing this very exciting time on campus can help with anxiety, stress and all of the other negative emotions we are feeling because of end of the semester to-dos.

Decorating your apartment, house or dorm room for the holidays is just one of the many ways students can put the stress aside and get excited about the upcoming holiday season. Putting up a mini Christmas tree, stringing lights along your ceiling, buying and lighting a Menorah to celebrate Hanukkah, or even getting peppermint scented candles are fun and easy ways to lighten your mood and spread a little holiday cheer.

Our campus offers a wide variety of fun and inexpensive holiday activities for students to engage in during their leisure time.

For example, between studying, you can go skating at the ice arena, go see the Other Guys a capella group for their Christmas concert this Saturday, take a stroll around campus to look at the lights on the fraternity houses, decorate your dorm or apartment, make Christmas cookies and deliver them to all of your friends or even have an “Elf” viewing party. The possibilities are endless.

In addition, participating in things like this not only prepares us for the holidays, but it also gives us an opportunity to get out of the library and explore campus. We can visit places we have not been before and learn more about the different groups on campus, especially those in the performance arts.

One thing many of us are seemingly failing to realize is that this is a time of year with many events and celebrations that we don’t always take advantage of.

The holidays come with the opportunity to be thankful for all of the blessings we have been given, and giving back to those who have been there for you the most. We are all extremely blessed to go to a university like Illinois, and we need to remember the true meaning when we are stressing over our exams.

School is tough, but we need to remember to enjoy this season like we might have when we were younger children. I know just decorating my apartment and turning on the lights every time I come home is enough to put me in a better mood each and every day.

The holidays do not need to be as stressful as we make them, and by enjoying the small things the campus offers, we can make our lives just a little bit easier over the next few weeks.

Powering through final exam cram sessions with a cup of hot chocolate is arguably a whole lot better than a study session without it.

Christmas cheer is something more than just exchanging gifts and experiencing the actual holiday itself. To alleviate end-of-semester stress, we need to focus on doing little things and remember to embrace holiday festivities.

Rebecca is a senior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].