Let’s be honest.  It is almost impossible to study 24-hours a day, seven days a week leading up to an exam — you have to take a break at some point.

Since the usual stress relief of excessive drinking and hitting up Richmond Row may not be the ideal solution for getting rid of the pressure of the end-of-year-crunch, there are plenty of alternative activities you can use to help maintain your sanity during the exam period.

Tis the Season for Movies and Music

Seeing a good concert or catching a flick at the theatre are great ways to give your mind a break from information overload — a two-hour break will probably be more beneficial for your mind in the long run.

Some upcoming shows include Faber Drive at Call the Office on Dec. 11, Three Days Grace at the John Labatt Centre Dec. 15, Protest the Hero at London Music Hall Dec. 16 and The Constantines at Call the Office on Dec. 18.

If you’re feeling festive check, out London Concert Band’s “Spirits of Christmas” at Aeolian Performing Arts Centre on Dec. 15.

If movies are more your style, hit up the theate to see The Lovely Bones and The Prince and the Frog opening Dec. 11, or James Cameron’s latest, Avatar, which comes out Dec.18.

If you’re really into fashion, check out Coco Avant Chanel, a biopic about the fashion icon’s early life, playing at Hyland Cinema for the next couple of weeks.

If you don’t feel like venturing too far from your cubicle at Weldon, go no further than Western Film to catch a screening of Couples Retreat or Law Abiding Citizen starting this Friday.

All I want for exams is Caffeine and Sugar

Coffee and comfort food are key for getting through the stress of exams.  Luckily, there is plenty of festive food available at this time of year — even on campus.

It’s likely you will be consuming more than one caffeinated beverage per study day, so start your “Coffee Crawl” at William’s Coffee Pub with a candy cane hot chocolate. Next, try Starbuck’s newest holiday beverage, the caramel brulée latte. Before you hit the library, stop at the Tim Hortons for a gingerbread hot chocolate.

No hot beverage is complete without a sweet treat. Plan some time with friends to have delicious baking session, or better yet, try a cookie exchange. This involves baking multiple batches of cookies, and exchanging them with your friends’ baked goods. This way you’ll have a variety of treats to get you through those long nights of cramming.

Other ideas involving food and friends include a planned potluck dinner — because who has time to cook a multi-course meal anyways? You’ll appreciate a well-rounded feast with good company instead of the usual Kraft Dinner.

Skating, Walking, and…Tobogganing?

Don’t worry about binge eating — we have an exercise plan all figured out. Plus, exercise is one of the best stress-relievers.

Victoria Park’s skating rink if officially open, so grab your skates, someone’s hand to hold and make your way down to the winter wonderland of ice and lights.

If Mother Nature ever decides to give us enough snow, you can grab your toboggans — or laundry baskets — and head to the nearest slope.  Not only is tobogganing a fun activity, but walking up those hills also gets the thighs burning.

Of course, people are getting more exercise than normal with the lack of buses — having to walk and bike everywhere might be the silver lining to the strike.

If you don’t have time to trek it to the gym, try YouTube for “8 minute Abs” or “Insanity,” a couple exercise videos you can do in the comforts of your own home!

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year… for Decorating!

Half the fun of the holiday season is decorating — a little festivity can go a long way towards brightening up a gloomy study session. Go to a dollar store, grab some garlands, window decals and other ornaments to hang around your place.

If you have a lot of time on your hands — or you’re just looking for a really big distraction — make some popcorn, grab a needle and some thread and create your very own garland. Tip: make sure you don’t use buttery popcorn. If you don’t have a tree to string your popcorn garland around, don’t worry — it makes a delicious study snack.

To add a warm and cozy feel to your place, rent or buy a fireplace DVD — it provides the ambience of a crackling fire without the risk of burning the house down. Twinkle lights strung around a room also help to create a fun and festive atmosphere.

The holiday season can be rough with exams, crappy weather and now the lack of transit. Whether you take heed of our advice or not, just remember there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and the break is just around the corner. Stay positive, keep motivated and take care.

From your Arts & Entertainment editors, happy holidays!