The Christmas term ends in a week, which means two or three full weeks at home for most high schoolers and college students. How should you spend it, you ask? Well, aside from eating, drinking and being merry, we have eight suggestions to help you put the festive season to good use.

1) Get a seasonal job

If you haven’t already snagged a job for Christmas, it may be too late now to apply. However, there is a wealth of opportunity in entrepreneurial pursuits. You can:

a) Wrap gifts for your friends, neighbours, and parents’ co-workers for a fee;

b) Become a personal shopper helping people purchase their holiday gifts, also for a fee; or

c) Run sundry errands like paying bills, making bank deposits, picking up dry cleaning, etc.

2) Take up baking

It is, after all, the season of the irresistible Chrismus puddn’ and delectable Christmas cookies. What better time to throw yourself into the art of catering to your family’s sweet tooth?

3) Learn a language

A second language helps you learn and master other languages, including your mother tongue. It also qualifies you for jobs on the international market and broadens your world view by introducing you to other people and cultures. There is no limit to the options as classes in French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Japanese and others are offered on the island. The institutions which offer them, including the Alliance Francaise for French; The Spanish-Jamaica Foundation for Spanish and The Confucius Centre at the University of the West Indies for Mandarin, are likely closed for the holidays but there are a wealth of online resources.

4) Learn to drive

You need to be at least 17 years old to qualify for a provisional driver’s licence. Once you do, you’ll have agreater sense of independence, with the attendant responsibility, of course.

5) Complete your college application.

This may sound like a stressful task, especially at Christmastime, but just think about how relieved and accomplished you will feel when you’re through and don’t have to juggle applications with midterm exams. You could also take the time to research and visit the schools to which you applied or are thinking of applying.

6) Read something. Anything.

I don’t need to tell you that reading builds one’s vocabulary, sharpens one’s mind, reduces stress, expands one’s range of experience, and broadens one’s world view.

7) Start a journal

Documenting your thoughts and experiences can be cathartic. It also sparks creativity, boosts one’s self-confidence and improves communication skills.

Journalling also creates mindfulness — achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. The bonus is that you can later develop the journal into a book.

8) Become a tourist/go cross-country trekking

The range of flowering plants in bloom at Christmastime, from poinsettia to wild grasses, makes it a perfect time to go cross-country trekking.