Figuring out what you are going to do for Christmas as a student in a foreign country can be hard. However, this is not mission impossible, and in fact with the right people you can really enjoy this time of the year, even, when your family is not around.
Here are my top tips on how to celebrate Christmas as an International student.
1. Get involved in Christmas socials
Brunel is a great place to get involved in different events around Christmas. Every year the Union of Brunel Students organises a Christmas dinner on the 25th December so no-one needs to spend the day alone.
This year there will be a Christmas trip to Edinburgh from the 19th-22nd December. This is amazing opportunity to travel around for less, and to explore new destinations.
Previous years, Brunel has held a Christmas market on campus, where you can find a lot of sweets, hot food and interesting animals, such as live reindeers.
Two years ago, on the Christmas market we were celebrating ‘Frozen’ anniversary, and I watched the movie with all my friends, while having a great food.
2. Secret Santa
In my first year, my flatmates and I organised a Secret Santa with a limit of £10. On Christmas evening we exchanged our gifts, and this was a special moment for everyone.
3. Try different foods
As well as secret Santa, collect some money for food and cook with your friends. My flatmates and I are all from different countries so we cooked the most famous meals from our country, meaning we basically had food from different places of the world.
4. Earn some extra money
Christmas is a great period to earn some extra money. While I had my time off from university, I decided to work around Christmas in my second year and save some money. In case you find yourself with a lot of free time, why not make the most of it, with gaining not only financial benefits but also some work experience which will increase your future employability?
5. London!
London is one of the best places to celebrate Christmas with events all over the city – you should make the most of having all of this on your doorstep.
My favourite place is Winter Wonderland. If you like roller coasters, ice skating, shopping, food, drinks, live music, smiles and positive emotions, you should go to Winter Wonderland. The entrance is free of charge, so no need to spend unnecessarily.
Just outside of London and a few miles away from Brunel is Windsor – my next favourite. You can visit the castle, have a nice lunch and go around nice shops. You can also rent a small boat on the Thames and feed the swans.