The holiday season has snuck up on all of us, and with winter break only a few weeks away, college students can feel uninvolved with the holiday spirit while they’re busy studying for finals. And if you are a procrastinator when it comes to studying or doing any schoolwork (like me), you’re looking for new ways to avoid cracking open your textbook. Decorating your dorm for the holiday season is a fun way to get ready for the holidays, and maybe bring some more happiness into your life.

When it comes to decorating for the holidays, nothing is off limits—except when you live in a residence hall, then some things are off limits. For examples, large metal or wooden signs (bigger than 2 x 2 ft) are not allowed because of possible damage to the walls, and candles are prohibited for obvious reasons. A good alternative for candles would be battery powered candles, or if you still want a fresh, Christmas-time scent, reed diffusers or air fresheners can easily do the trick.

Christmas trees are allowed in the dorm, if they’re small enough to be placed on your desk or shelf. Trees that stand from the ground are not allowed. Adding a small tree with lights and ornaments can instantly put you in the Christmas spirit. Other things you can do is add warm red or white blankets to your bed along with holiday pillows, adding snowglobes throughout your room can be decorative and fun, adding colored or white lights to your walls (not overlapping posters or tapestries), buying a seasonal coffee mug, and covering your door with wrapping paper can be an easy but very festive way to get into the swing of the holidays.

Sophomore Chelsea Covino is a fan of sprucing up her room during the winter season. Her dorm last year featured a fully gift wrapped door complete with bows.

“I love decorating for the holidays,” Covino said. “This year I put up colored lights and have Christmas air fresheners in my room, but last year my roommates and I decorated our door with wrapping paper, and also put up lights throughout our whole room. It definitely helped put us in good spirits throughout finals.”

So next time you are on your phone or watching Netflix instead of studying, consider adding a little holiday cheer to your dorm to make the countdown to winter break a little bit easier.