Holidays were once filled with presents, Santa Claus and food with family. Now holidays are filled with long essays, stressful finals and empty wallets. More and more college students have begun dreading the holidays, not because Christmas has lost its seemingly magical quality but because it comes with its own stressful agenda.
On top of studying and working, there’s that pressure to get loved ones the perfect gift. If one is ordering gifts online, it is very important to order them on time, yet another deadline. Not to mention the fact that a good portion of college students stay broke, so the holidays are another serious drain on funds.
Even family life changes around the holidays. At school, students are around loud classmates and listen to lecture after lecture. By the end of the semester, it is not uncommon to need some quiet time alone; however, for most, this is not likely to happen. Holidays are a constant stream of family and overly loud holiday cheer.
The holidays themselves are not what some come to dread. What is dreaded are those extra deadlines, less money, less time and what seems to be no quiet break to themselves. College students are especially prone to this extra stress around the holidays because they already had stress endured from school.
by Laurel Jones
