All I want for Christmas is… an extension; A Guide to Surviving the December Deadlines

By Ellen Lundy

Christmas at Queen’s University Belfast: the magical season when the Whitla Hall sparkles with twinkly lights, Botanic Gardens hum with icy charm and the aroma of mulled wine wafts through the Christmas Market like an academic siren song. But the festive period is not all jingle bells and Santa smells. For many students, this festive utopia is but a distant fantasy, smothered beneath the soul-crushing weight of looming deadlines, group project dramas and that one module you definitely should’ve dropped in Week 3.

Yes, it’s assignment season, where “ho, ho, ho” swiftly becomes “no, no, NO!” Here’s a survival guide to navigating the academic apocalypse before Santa parks his sleigh outside City Hall.

1. The Christmas Market Isn’t a Study Space

It might feel tempting to lug your laptop to the wooden benches outside the Belfast City Hall and type furiously between gulps of hot chocolate. Resist this. The festive spirit may be magical and uplifting, but trust me, try to juggle Christmas shopping and assignment deadlines, and it’ll come back to haunt you faster than a ghost of Christmas past.

Instead, head to the McClay Library, where you can pretend to work while scrolling TikTok in a spinning computer chair. Plus, the McClay’s radiators might be the only warmth you experience in December if you still have yet to fill your oil tank in your Fitzroy flat.

2. Group Projects: A Recipe for Festive Chaos

There are two kinds of students in group projects: those who disappear faster than a turkey sandwich at the Christmas markets after a group of lads finishes the 12 pubs of Christmas and those who write six pages of passive-aggressive notes in the WhatsApp chat. Pro tip: be the third kind. The one who pretends to mediate while sneakily assigning yourself the easiest section (“I’ll just do the conclusion, yeah?”).

And remember, if the project implodes, there’s always the comforting thought that you’ll get to do it all again in January… as a resit. Merry Christmas!

3. Procrastination is the Real Grinch

Some students say they thrive under pressure. These are the same people who think “three hours before the deadline” is plenty of time to write a 3,000-word essay. If this is you, embrace your chaotic energy. Set up in the McClay, buy a flat white the size of your head and prepare to Google “how to cite Wikipedia in Harvard referencing.”

But for the rest of us, it’s time to channel that pre-Christmas guilt. Put your phone on airplane mode (except to order snacks because you’re not an animal), and bribe yourself with festive treats. One paragraph = one Quality Street. Finish the essay? Celebrate with an entire tin.

4. Self-Care is Not a Myth

Listen, Queen’s is a beautiful campus, but it’s not Hogwarts. There’s no spell to finish your essays for you (unless you count “Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V,” which your plagiarism checker will catch). Take a breather. Go to Lavery’s for a pint. Watch the Christmas lights in the city centre. Maybe even… sleep?

The Serious Bit: A Time for Compassion

For all the jokes, the weeks before Christmas can be tough. The pressure to perform academically, the financial strain of the season, and the dark, dreary Belfast evenings can make this time overwhelming. If you’re feeling stressed, remember you’re not alone. Queen’s offers free counselling services through Student Wellbeing, and local organisations like Inspire are there to help. Speak to friends, reach out to tutors and don’t hesitate to ask for extensions or support if you need it.

At the end of the day, the holidays are about connection, kindness and the belief that possibly next year, you’ll actually start your essays in November. Until then, good luck, and may your Wi-Fi never cut out on deadline day.

Happy Christmas, Queen’s students. See you on the other side of the grading curve!