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Having a Host Christmas.
While many of you will be heading home for Christmas, (see our recent blog about leaving for home), more and more of you are choosing to spend Christmas with us in your student accommodation. Whether that flight home is just too expensive or those essay/exam deadlines in January, just make you feel that the peace and quiet of staying in halls is the perfect opportunity to cram in some extra studying and save on travel costs.
Whatever your reason for staying with us this Christmas, we want you to be assured that there will always be a member of staff available if you need us. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays. Here are a few ideas to make your Christmas cheerful without worrying what everyone else is up to.
Merry Flatmas Day!
Living in a shared flat? Before the end of term, organise a Christmas day between you and all your flatmates. Decorate the flat (Share your masterpiece with us on Instagram: @hoststudentsuk and #HoHoHost ). Stick a cheesy Christmas playlist on Spotify. Have a proper Christmas lunch, think Turkey and all the trimmings.
And it wouldn’t be Christmas without presents, so set yourselves a modest budget (£5 or £10) and do a secret Santa. Then finish the day off in front of the TV watching a load of Netflix box sets.
All those Duvet days…
Here’s your perfect excuse, no we mean valid reason to do absolutely nothing. To just spend all day in bed binge watch Christmas movies… You earnt it!
So you got through the first term or first term back at uni, all those people you’ve met, all those deadlines past, those assignments smashed. You deserve some me time, time to do nothing but watch some shocking TV. So, what’s first? Elf or Bad Santa?
Who else is staying?
Ask around and find out who else is spending Christmas in their student accommodation, organise to spend Christmas day together. Exchange your traditions. – With many students staying in Halls likely to be from a different country, hold a multi-cultural Christmas, learn about a different culture and something new about your neighbours.
Bring a traditional dish from each other’s culture or even better organise to go out for your Christmas lunch. Check with your university if they are holding an event, just make sure to check early and make sure to book.
Explore your Host city.
How many times have you walked past that museum, that coffee shop or park and thought I’ll have a look at that next time I’m in town? Well, now it’s your perfect opportunity to become the tourist and do all those things and visit all those places you promised yourself.
Check out all those Christmas events going on. Markets, Pantomimes, Carol services, etc. And come the New Year, wrap up warm, get out, get some fresh air and go for a walk.
Talk.
Call or even better video call your friends and family and be part of each other’s Christmas. If you feel a bit down, pick up that phone and talk to them. It’ll not only make your day a whole lot better but will also brighten theirs up.
Just remember… if you’re feeling alone and need someone to talk to, most universities are part of Nightline Association. A charity that provides confidential, anonymous, non-judgmental, support services run by students for students.
#HostEnvironmentalPledge.
Getting serious about the environment we live in.
To become more ‘environmentally friendly’, Host is launching the #HostEnvironmentalPledge campaign to encourage responsible behaviour and drive sustainability across our sites throughout the UK and Ireland.
It’s a simple campaign! For every percent we reduce our overall utilities (electric, water and gas) consumption by we donate to one of our nominated charities.
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