It’s (still) the moooost wonderful timeeeee of the yeaaarrrr!

It’s no secret that as we have grown older, the way we celebrate the Christmas season has changed. The days of leaving out Tesco Finest cookies and frothy milk for Santa are over, along with many other childhood traditions now that we’re at uni. On top of this, with all the coursework and deadlines on our personal calendars, celebrating the holidays can feel like one of those low priority tasks on our ever-growing to-do lists.

However, the fun is NOT over my friends. For many of us, we have to enjoy a large portion of the Christmas season build-up in our student halls/houses, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a jolly old time. Here are eleven ways to make your student Christmas feel festive!

1.Decorate Your Living Space

This is a no brainer. Get your housemates to chip in and buy yourselves a mini Christmas tree, some tinsel, and ornaments (to at least get yourself started). Heck, if you’re feeling crazy, buy an inflatable Santa while you’re at it. Decorating your place is a super fun way to bond with friends and make sure your living space rivals the North Pole.

2.Buy Some Christmas Clothes

If you look the part, you’ll feel the part. Get yourselves and your friends some ugly Christmas jumpers and visit the pub. It’ll get you in the festive spirit and be a right old laugh. And even better, they aren’t too expensive with many options (some even light up and sing!) at around £5-10.

3.Cook Up a Christmas Feast

The smell of luscious gravy, tender turkey, salty pigs-in-blankets, and a fluffy Yorkshire pudding… have I sold you yet? Clear your Sunday, take your friends to the supermarket and pick up your favourite goodies to cook up. It’ll put your culinary skills to the test… and maybe give you some perspective on how much your mum has on her hands when she’s cooking your family’s Christmas meal single-handedly.

Dig in!

4.Christmas Movie Night Anyone?

Wrap up, assemble your mugs of peppermint hot chocolate, get out the popcorn bowl, and pop on a Christmas classic. Some easy choices are The Grinch, Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, and The Santa Claus Movies. It’s easy, cheap, and something everyone can get involved in.

5. Get Your Skates On

Find your local skating rink and get moving! It’s hilarious to see your friends fall on their bottoms time and time again with Christmas music in the background. Whether you’re good at it or terrible, it’s always a good time.

6. Shop till You Drop

Yeah, yeah, yeah. “It’s not about the presents.” But c’mon, they sure do make things a little bit sweeter in the holiday season. Lots of places have irresistible deals around this time of the year, and the stores are always decked-out in fabulous Christmas decorations. Check out some of our UNiDAYS deals if your short of ideas or if you want some extra savings!

7. Hit Up the Christmas Markets

Personally, I’m a sucker for the markets. The holiday energy is infectious. The smell of sausages on the barbeque, milky chocolate treats, and cinnamon coffee (among many things) really is a delight to the senses. Plus, there’s often great gift ideas at some of the stalls for ALL ages.

1. Make Some Christmas Art

Get out the glue, glitter, and crayons and get creative! Whether it’s Christmas cards, holiday paintings or home decorations, there’s a million different things to create. Make things interesting and see who can draw the realest Jack Frost or life-like elf.

9.Christmas Baking

Gingerbread men, shortbread, mince pies…whatever tickles your fancy, roll up your sleeves with some friends and bake up some holiday treats! It’s your excuse to get fat and be happy.

10. Volunteer and Give Back

At this time of the year, there are lots of families and individuals who could do with a helping hand. Look up some local volunteer opportunities, get some friends together, and donate a bit of your time to a worthy cause. You’ll feel so great afterwards knowing the difference you’ve made.

11. Secret Santa

What a classic. Organise your flatmates and set up a Secret Santa (with a spending cap of course). It’ll be hilarious to see what people get each other and is a fun way to get everyone involved.

There you have it, folks. There’s plenty of ideas out there to make the holiday season a terrific one. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself and have a very Merry Christmas!

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