Banish your boredom

Winter Break means 31 days (744 hours, or even better 44,640 seconds) of free time. Most students are looking forward to a month of catching up with family and friends, sleeping for more than five hours at a time and not having to think about schoolwork. Wondering what to do with it all? Worry no longer — when you start getting antsy, take a look at this list and time will fly by.

Freshman Phuong Nguyen has not been home to Poland since Aug. 15, and she is just bubbling over with plans for when she arrives. Among the many items on her list, she’s ready to go skiing, play in the snow, drink hot chocolate, decorate her room, cook, play with her little brother, see all of her friends and, of course, shop ’till she drops. Take some advice from Nguyen and see how many of these ideas you can pull off in the most fun ways possible.

Let it snow!

Freshman Adem Althor, lives in New Hampshire and also has not been home since August. He’s ready to do activities that must be done in the snow. Try skiing, ice skating and pond hockey to start. If you live where it’s cold and snowy, take advantage of that winter wonderland. Go outside and play in it — snowball fights, snowmen, snow angels, sledding, skiing. Warm up inside with some hot chocolate in a cozy chair with a good book or movie.

Movie marathon.

Do a Christmas movie marathon with your friends. There are tons of Christmas classics out there: The "Home Alone" Series, "White Christmas," "It’s a Wonderful Life," "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown," "Christmas Vacation," "The Muppet Christmas Carol," "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer," "Miracle on 34th Street" and my personal favorite, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Share the season.

Eileen Nelson, a former psychology professor at JMU, suggested reading to children in the hospital and to older folks in convalescent homes. Or simply sit and hold their hands — everyone needs some love during the festive season.

Here we come a carolling.

Groups always are going out caroling in neighborhoods. Check it out with neighbors, a church group or get a bunch of friends together and belt out those songs.

And a happy New Year.

Once Christmas is over, pull out the pencil and paper and write down your goals for the New Year. Bring them back to school so you can post them on your wall and keep yourself in line.