The holidays are approaching for college students. This means that final exams and projects are due! This is usually a stressful time for students, as studying for exams and working on essays can take a mental toll on the many undergraduate and graduate students. 

However, it is pretty easy to catch the holiday spirit bug in the month of December as the fall semester winds down. There are a bunch of ways for students to ease the stress of finals week, and below are some ways to unwind for finals week in holiday fashion!

1. Bake some Christmas goodies!  Fill up your stomach with some delectable treats this holiday season! Those who are studying for finals and who love to bake can make cookies and cupcakes with different holiday designs! A quick tip: chocolate has a lot of healthy antioxidants that help to raise a person's mood, and studies from James A. Peterson PhD., a freelance writer, and consultant for the American College of Sports Medicine, show that people, namely students, who digest dark chocolate, mentally function at a higher rate! Flavanoids in the chocolate can boost blood flow to different parts of the brain, improving alertness and performance in the brain for several hours, which is perfect for anyone with a heavy workload.
2. Watch holiday-themed movies! Feeling overwhelmed this finals season? Take a break from the studying, kick back, and turn on a device of your choice and watch some holiday films. Some favorites include Elf, Polar Express, and Home Alone!
3. Give gifts to friends! Do not be afraid to be generous this holiday season. This time of year is specialized for people giving gifts and time to those closest to them and what better opportunity than during finals week to give back to friends and fellow classmates. A hallmark card of encouragement, a nice holiday gift for a friend, or just spending time with a classmate can be the best thing for someone during this stressful time.
4. Retail Therapy: Holiday Edition! Another way to capitalize off of this school year is to get a gift or two for yourself! The shopping spree at the month's end can be stressful, but getting a gift of your choice cannot hurt that bad. Shopping at a local mall or store can be beneficial as a stress reliever, and a good break from books!  
5. Give back to the community for the holidays! Participating in a food drive, helping out at a local soup kitchen, donating to a toy drive, or participating in any other act of community service does not only take the stress away from working on a project or preparing for an exam, but it gives satisfaction when giving gifts to people who may be underprivileged this holiday season. By giving, those who participate have something else to focus on. 
6. Travel to New York City to see the holiday lights! A good way to get away from the books is a nice train or car ride to New York City. Proclaimed as "The City that Never Sleeps", this destination is described as the epicenter of the Christmas universe to some. From Christmas shopping, with stores as far as the eye can see, to the bright lights of Time Square, the ice rink at Rockefeller Center and the wintry air of the city will remind anyone of the joy that the holidays bring!
7. Build a miniature Christmas tree! Though time is pressed for college students this week,  taking the time out of their day to buy a large Christmas tree with ornaments and other decorations may not be a possibility. Instead, students can get a small tree at a local store for an affordable price to spread some holiday cheer across their dorm rooms.
8. Listen to Christmas music while studying! Another way to handle the stress of final exam week is to play Christmas music while you study. Whether you are writing a 10-page research paper or are going over notes for a big exam, turning on some holiday tunes on different music platforms like Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music can set a joyful mood during the studying, or as a means of motivation, because once their exams are done, winter break awaits!
9. Take a walk around the town to see the Christmas lights!  For anyone who cannot make the trip to New York, or any city during this time, this is a perfect opportunity to see the Christmas lights around the neighborhood and have a relief from the papers and study guides while getting some exercise as well! 
10. Drink and Be Merry! Much like the baking example used earlier, enjoying foods and drinks are one of the best ways to relax and wind down during finals week. Do not be afraid to enjoy a nice hot cup of hot chocolate, a soothing glass of egg nog, or any other delectable liquid treat! Also, the Starbucks in the Nancy Thompson Library and in the Green Lane Academic Building (GLAB) are offering a variety of new holiday-themed frappuccinos, Lattes, and teas for students and faculty to enjoy during this finals season. 

Whatever way that students can ease the tensions of finals week will be beneficial to their studying habits, as a break from the paper-typing, study guide forming and book-reading are always needed from time to time. The holidays are almost here and if done responsibly, getting into the holiday spirit will not be that much of a distraction during the stressful period of finals week. Happy Finals!