Tips on what to do in this year’s holiday season for international students

Being an international student could mean many things. In most cases, you would have to stay far away from your family and friends, and start anew on your own in a different country. Now that the holiday season is coming, the feelings of loneliness and homesickness can definitely kick in. There’s always that option to go back to your country and enjoy, say, two or three weeks with your family. However, not all students can manage that, so here are some suggestions for anyone who decides to stay or who is about to experience their very first holiday without their family.

Working – why not?
Working during the break could be fun, especially at a coffee shop, a restaurant or other similar places, as they are likely to organize some events or games designed for the holidays. Working is a great way to kill time and could easily help you get over your homesickness. Besides, you can even work full-time during the winter break, so this is a great opportunity to earn some more bucks.

You don’t want to leave out your school work
There’s a good chance that dreaded final exams and possibly some presentations are scheduled right after your holiday break. You could spend at least a week reviewing for your finals and rehearsing for any presentations ahead. Yes, I know it’s very tempting to leave everything and hang out with your friends during the holiday, but as you’ve already experienced the awful week of midterms after the strike, you wouldn’t want to screw up your semester (again), would you?

For those who love staying at home
There must be people who love staying at home despite all the fuss outside. I am definitely one of them—sometimes it takes too much effort to leave your warm and comfortable blanket to go out in this type of weather. For those who are like me, it’s a good idea to browse through some movies and TV that are on during this holiday season, or pick up some books and maybe write reviews about them.

For those who adore going out
There are a great number of events that will take place in Toronto during the winter break. It’s always good to get to know the city that you’re living in, especially when a lot of international students come to Canada with the intent of staying. You can also join some gatherings with students from your home country and make traditional foods, which can help relieve your homesickness and fill your stomach.

Most importantly, it’s also holiday time back home and your parents will miss you too. So don’t forget to give them a call and share any new stories or experiences that you have with them. Best of luck on your first holiday abroad!