By Kristen MisakSpecial to the Chronicle

‘Tis the season! For many, this time of year is about singing Christmas carols, decorating the tree, drinking eggnog and being merry. But along with all of the holiday spirit comes a lot of stress.

Between buying presents and getting ready to go home for winter break, some college students may feel unprepared for this season. And what better to supplement the stress of the holiday season than the stress of finals week fast approaching?

As in recent years, finals are scheduled dangerously close to Christmas, and this wreaks havoc on students’ mental faculties. Many of us are torn in two directions and feel that our plates are simply too full.

We feel guilty ignoring the holiday season by sitting in the library with our noses in books, but once we try to get into the spirit and do some shopping, we begin to stress that we should be spending our time studying instead. There is simply no right answer as to what to do in this situation.
As Hofstra students, we might benefit from starting our fall semester a week earlier, in order to start winter break a week earlier in December. Many universities, both private and public, choose to start classes in August, so this practice would not be so radical for Hofstra to adopt.

One less week of summer break would be acceptable. It would better balance winter and summer vacations and even out the academic calendar. Summer break is already so long, and many students are ready to return to school by August, anyway.

This year, students are taking finals up until Dec. 20, which is almost too close to Christmas for them to truly enjoy the holiday at home with their families. This time of year is meant for warmth and comfort, not finals stress, so most students who celebrate Christmas would much rather finish finals on Dec. 13.

For now, remember that the holiday season is still important, and taking a few hours off to watch a Christmas movie won’t make or break your final grades. Play Christmas music while you study, or at least take a second to appreciate the beauty of the season.
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, there is joy and merriment in the air during this time of year, and we must try our best to preserve it despite the circumstances.