I know at times I seem to be lecturing you all about how to stay organized. I also know that sometimes this makes me sound like a bossy, crazy person. Well, here’s your chance to indulge in some schadenfreude (look it up): Every year, without fail, I am totally overwhelmed and unprepared for Christmas.
At Nazareth, we have our finals during the second week of December. I usually get back home Dec. 12 or 13. That is roughly two weeks to buy all of my loved ones’ presents, help decorate the tree, wrap all the gifts, help make the holiday goodies, and to catch up on my sleep. Yeah, I know that last one seems lame. Wait until your first final exam week — then we’ll talk.
Fortunately, you don’t have to be like me. You have the ability to get all your Christmas stuff figured out before you get home. I recommend going home with all your gifts in tow, so you only have to wrap them. And you can do that while watching A Christmas Story. Or It’s a Wonderful Life if you are feeling emotional.
How can you do this? By planning early. As soon as your fall break is over, try to save your money and buy your present(s) for one person each week. For example, one week buy everything you need for your mother; the next week purchase the stuff for your father; etc. I know it sounds super simple on paper, but this is actually kind of hard. No one is in a gift giving mood pre-Halloween, and it’s difficult to spend that cash every weekend when you are in college. Not to mention, you will have studying, work and other responsibilities to handle during the semester.
Still, it is a more attractive choice than the one I’ll be facing in two weeks. Instead of coming home from finals with a bunch of stuff to buy, wrap, decorate and bake, try to get organized early. Cross off the buying part of your list so you can do the rest of your holiday chores from the safety of your home and not the wild west of the mall. In other words, do as I say. Not as I do.
Written by Rachel Montpelier. Rachel is a senior at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. and is the editorial assistant at NextStepU.
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