December 30, 2025
by Dinize Pradanos
Do we still feel the spark of Christmas? Or is it just me? December is a month of celebration, a time when families come together to relax, share meals, and prepare for Christmas Eve, and this is also a month in which we prepare ourselves for the new journey we can make. For most students, it is also a time to rest after a long semester and enjoy the warmth of home, a home where the bloodline reunites. But for some students who live far from campus, the holiday season urges them back to a different reality, with the last day of school scheduled so close to Christmas, traveling back to their provinces becomes difficult. The long distances, tight schedules, and limited transportation left them with no choice but to stay in their boarding houses, apartments, and spend the holidays away from their families.
Students who want to rest become tired and lonely. Instead, they’ve been given a time and day to be with their family, but they chose to stay where there is more convenience. The loss of spark is not only limited to the energy or relationship of an individual, but also to something that pushes them to choose what’s easier. It might cost them pain, but they know this will result in something more and they can be proud of. Despite these challenges, students found ways to create meaning and enjoyment. Many organized small celebrations in their boarding houses, cooking together, sharing meals, and exchanging simple tokens of appreciation, in which an expansion of laughter and conversation filled the rooms, bringing a sense of warmth and companionship. For those who stayed, the community of friends became a substitute for family, creating moments of connection and joy in the absence of home.
The experience was both tiring and enlightening. Without the option to travel, students learned to adapt to their circumstances, balancing responsibilities, rest, and celebration in a limited space of time. The situation also revealed the importance of planning and understanding the needs of students who live far from campus, especially during the holiday season.
Although December is meant to be a time of celebration, for these students, it became a period of patience, resilience, and reflection even without the traditional comfort of home; the spirit of the season remained alive through small acts of togetherness.
What could have been a lonely holiday transformed into a meaningful experience, proving that the essence of celebration does not always depend on where you are, but on the connections and moments you create along the way.