If you’re a girl, you know that Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year. Starbucks uses their cheerful holiday cups, all of your favorite stores have amazing deals, and you can wear your scarf and boots every day of the week! The only downside to having Christmas in college, however, is the evil that goes by the name of ‘FINALS’. The library is always over capacity forcing people to be sprawled out on the floor like cockroaches, your final papers are preventing you from watching ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas, and you’re cramming so much for your exams that you don’t have time to even enjoy your Christmas decorations (let’s be serious, I KNOW you’ve already put them up). A college Christmas season has the potential to be one of the worst parts of growing up, only if you don’t know how to do it right.

Here’s how I keep my holiday spirit up and somehow manage not to lose focus. *Note: these might not work for you- I tend to be a bit of a Holiday-aholic (much like this woman), so it is very easy to incorporate Christmas cheer into my everyday routine flawlessly.

I have a love affair with Christmas music: Whether I’m getting ready in the morning or studying in the dungeon of the library, I am 100% always listening to Holiday music. Not only do I have over 400 Christmas songs on my iTunes, but I know every word to every single one of them, and I have absolutely no shame. Christmas radio station in the car? The only radio I listen to. Pandora ‘Swingin Christmas’ station? Always on. If you don’t like Christmas music, then I do not like you.

My Christmas lights are ALWAYS on: Sorry bout it, global warming, but I need some holiday cheer at all times, therefore the lights stay ON. The (real) tree must be purchased and decorated within a week of Thanksgiving, or else, you’re doing it wrong. Garland on the stair banisters, stockings hung, and all other non-tacky Christmas paraphernalia also needs to be displayed prominently within a week of Thanksgiving. You only get one month, people, make it last, and make it look good! Use this for inspiration if you’re still at a loss.

Christmas is the #1 excuse to have/attend a party:  Like I previously stated, the decorations are key, and you already have your perfect playlist (thanks Pandora!), so just provide the booze and you’re golden! Not only is it the perfect excuse to have a party, but its the perfect excuse to attend a party even when you know you have a million other important things to do, including, you know, all that studying for finals you’ve yet to start. And it’s not a real Christmas party unless you look stupid and/or tacky, so you MUST bust out the tacky Christmas gear or else you are formally uninvited to any Christmas shindig I plan on throwing.

ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas: This really should go without saying, but let the good Lord baby Jesus bless whoever came up with ABC Family’s holiday countdowns, especially the Christmas one. If you’re running low on Christmas spirit, simply turn on your television any night in December and you can sit back and bask in the glory that comes with any and all Christmas movies (except for those stupid ones with the puppies- Buddy the Elf is the ONLY ‘buddy’ allowed in my Christmas repertoire). The best part about ’25

Days’ is the fact that they include Harry Potter…where can I send my personalized thank you letter to?

Tis the Season to Bake/Eat Everything: Not only is Christmastime the season of baking excessive amounts of things that are bad for you delicious treats, but it is also the season of eating excessive amounts of everything in sight Christmas cookies and chocolate. Who needs to be skinny when you’re going to be bundled up in coats and sweaters anyway?! No one, that’s who. So I fully encourage you to ditch the diet and bring on the candy-canes and gingerbread men this holiday season not only because they are delicious, but because you can.

So I hope this post brings a little ease to your ever-so-stressful last couple weeks of the semester. This being said, if you happen to see me between now and the end of finals week, I’ll be in the library, jamming to Pandora’s ‘Swingin Christmas’, and wearing my tacky Christmas sweater. Happy Holidays folks!