As we get closer and closer to mid-term exams, the holiday spirit is growing throughout the school. Forests of festive foliage begin to creep in throughout the halls, the sound of caroling and jingling echoing from the fine arts department, and thoughts of Winter Break brew within our students. With the holiday season on the horizon, many are busy planning for the coming month, mainly “What gifts will I be getting for my friends?” Well, I’m here to help you answer this, and hopefully help you prepare for the holidays.

When it comes to holiday shopping, it can be a nightmare trying to find exactly what you’re looking for, where the best deals are, and WHEN to shop. Without proper preparation, this nightmare can easily tumble down and transform into a hellscape to navigate. Over the past few years, I’ve been doing my research to formulate a near-perfect system for all your holiday shopping needs. This system does come with several downsides, but in the grand scheme of things, the benefits outweigh these flaws.

The first thing to do when searching for your holiday gifts, and the simplest mistake that many people make, is timing. More often than not, many begin their shopping sometime around mid-December, which greatly reduces the likelihood that you’ll find what you want. Ideally, it’s best to begin your shopping a few days before the end of November as the majority of shoppers are focused on preparing their Thanksgiving dinner. This will leave you with the opportunity to grab what you need without the hassle of scavenging the aisles for the remnants of your gifts.

The second item on your shopping docket is to plan what exactly you want to get. If you walk into the stores hoping fate will guide you to what you’re looking for, the only thing you’ll walk away with is a bag of Chick-fil-a gift cards. To avoid this, take the time to evaluate the personalities of those you’ll be gifting. This will help you better understand what they’ll more likely enjoy, and can quickly narrow down the number of aisles (or web pages) that you have to traverse. Another thing to consider when conducting your research is longevity. If you get a gift for someone that’ll only last a couple of weeks/months, then it loses its meaning. Instead, find something to at least last a year in order to create a deeper connection between it and the receiver.

Hopefully, using the advice I’ve provided for you, your preparations will go smoothly this holiday season. Happy holidays to you all!