Home Is Where Your Flatmates Are

Being away from family during Christmas might feel daunting to most of us, and that too without classes, gives room a lot of emotions. It is very natural to feel homesick, feel moody, and even doubt if it is all worth missing out on family time. The winter skies add to the melancholy. Some of your friends might travel back home, some of them might go on trips, and what about the ones who choose to stay in halls?

This is for you.

When you're miles away from the familiar warmth of home, your hall can become your sanctuary. You might be surprised to find how many others are staying too - you're not alone in this. Here's how you can create your own traditions and find home at LSE halls this Christmas:

 Find Your Hall Family

Drop a message in your halls WhatsApp group to see who's staying. Sometimes just knowing there are others around can ease that heavy feeling in your chest. Your hall family is waiting to be discovered.

Let Food Bring You Together

In small groups, choose to cook together and share your ethnic dishes or Christmas specials. Maybe have a potluck dinner too. Why not also bake a cake together? There's something about the smell of home-cooked food that makes any place feel like home, and sharing recipes is sharing stories.

Bring Back the Simple Joys

Play card games, UNO, Monopoly. Plan movie nights - yes, the Christmassy ones - and charades. Sometimes the best memories come from the simplest moments.

Start a Winter Walk Tradition

Pick a day each week to do a group walk - maybe to a different London park or neighborhood. The movement helps with seasonal blues, and exploring together creates shared experiences. Plus, some of the best conversations happen when you're walking side by side.

Play Secret Santa

Use apps like "Secret Santa Generator" among those in your hall, keep a tiny budget, and buy gifts or make one yourself. It's not about the price tag - it's about the thought, the laughter, and the joy of giving.

Decorate Your Spaces

You can choose to decorate your rooms and halls (within the rules, of course). Fairy lights, paper snowflakes, whatever makes your space feel festive. Small touches can transform a room.

Explore London Together

Go out to Regent Street to watch the Christmas lights with your hallmates. Visit Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, explore the free festive events at museums, or wander through Christmas markets. Check out the budget-friendly activities listed on the LSE Residential Life website - London during Christmas has a magic of its own.

Join ResLife Events

Attend the ResLife events. These are designed with you in mind, to help you feel connected and supported during the break.

Take Time for Yourself

And take some time for yourself too. Reflect on the past year, set intentional goals for the next one, and allow yourself to simply be. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. Growth happens in these quiet moments.

Leave Your Mark

Don't forget to drop a secret note for the hallmate who made you feel most at home this Christmas. Let them know they matter. These small gestures create ripples of warmth that last long after the decorations come down.

Most of all, find home in yourself - in where you are and who you're with right now. Home isn't always a place. Sometimes it's the people who choose to stay, to cook together, to laugh together, to simply be together.

Merry Christmas and a restful, gentle holiday.