Originally Posted: Dec 24, 2020
Last Updated: Dec 24, 2020
We all love a little break—especially after a long semester working hard at school! But sometimes with so much time off, we run out of things to do and need some new ideas. Check out college student Jordan-Paige’s video below to see how she’s spending her winter break while she’s home for the holidays.
The top things to do this winter break
These may all seem obvious, but when your mind is so focused on just having a break after finishing exams and final papers, it’s easy to forget about the simple things. Here are the best ways to spend your winter break:
- Travel (safely) to visit friends and family
- Get a jump-start on schoolwork
- Celebrations! Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s
- Catch up with friends and family
- SLEEP! Seriously—give your body the rest it needs
- Enjoy yummy home-cooked meals
Related: How to Have a Mindful Winter Break in 2020
You can also give back to your community while on break. The holidays are always a great time to help others, and many organizations are still holding events to give back in a safe way—and they need volunteers now more than ever with COVID-19. To give you an idea of what you can get involved in, check out student vlogger Olivia’s suggestions for five ways to help others during the holidays.
Ways to give back to the community
- Host a food drive: Ask your church, sports team, family, and friends to start collecting food for your local food pantry.
- Shovel for people: If you get snow (like we do up North) and don’t mind being out in the cold for a bit, offer to help your neighbors shovel their driveways.
- Volunteer at local organizations: Ask your local homeless shelter, soup kitchen, elementary school, church, library, or animal shelter if they need volunteers. Most of the time, they’ll say yes!
- Spread kindness: Brighten up someone’s day just by holding the door, smiling at them, or helping them carry their groceries.
- Help out around your house: If you’re nervous about being around other people during the COVID-19 crisis (a totally reasonable concern!), helping your parents clean up and do chores around the house more than usual can make a huge impact for your family.
Related: The Gift of Volunteering: 7 Opportunities for Winter Break
The CollegeXpress Team wishes you a happy, relaxing, and healthy winter break. You’ve worked so hard this semester through a lot of hurdles and struggles, but you made it through! Be sure to appreciate your accomplishments and enjoy your well-deserved time off.
For more vlogs from students just like you, check out the CollegeXpress YouTube channel!
