by AJ Earl

I think it’s important to have perspective.

For example, I think that we should all take a moment to think about the upcoming holiday break, and whether you celebrate or don’t celebrate the myriad holidays, we are all about to get some well-deserved time off from the books and pdfs, the proofs and the theories, the, well, everything.

I know there are some exceptions, but they, too, deserve some relaxation, and thanks to the very generous calendar, they will also get some time off.

To that end, here are my tips for making your holiday break a really great one:

Read anything that’s outside your academic field: I don’t care if it’s the instructions on the back of a gingerbread house kit, give your brain some time to absorb and integrate your field-specific readings. How many books can you read, anyway? Try this test to find out the possibilities: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/570929/how-many-books-to-read-year-test

Try a new recipe a week: Forget the 30 cookies in 30 days challenge, or anything that requires you to constantly try new things. That’s stressful! This holiday, try 3 or 4 different recipes and spend a week trying to perfect it. Knowing how to make 11 kinds of chocolate chip cookies is great, but why not learn how to cook the perfect Bûche de Noël? https://www.iletaitunefoislapatisserie.com/2016/12/buche-noel-roulee-chocolat-facile-rapide.html

Pamper your pets: If you have any kind of pet, take some time to give them a “me day,” where you treat them with good food, take glamour shots of them, and generally make sure they get the attention they need after a term of you focusing on schoolwork. If you don’t have a pet, the Oregon Humane Society is always looking for volunteers!

Learn your city: Staying in Portland for winter break? Why not hop on a Trimet bus or MAX and ride until you find something interesting? This kind of in-town tourism is helpful, it keeps you busy, and it’s low stress. Have you seen the Paul Bunyan statue?

If anything, this holiday break should provide you with the needed rest you’ve earned from this fall term. If you don’t do anything like the above suggestions, I hope at the very least you can take a seat, relax, and drink a nice cup of cocoa or whatever your favored winter drink is.