It’s the most wonderful time of the year again, but for some international students, visions of sugarplums have been replaced with fever dreams of national lockdown. With many staying in the UK over the winter break, here are a few COVID-friendly ideas to get through Christmas without languishing in SAD-ness (Seasonal Affective Disorder. The other meaning works too).
1. Watch some plays online through the LSE Library
Your LSE ID allows access to a great collection of plays provided by Drama Online. Simply search “National Theatre” on the LSE Library website, or click here, and enter your LSE ID credentials to log in. Pop on Twelfth Night to get into the winter mood, or maybe watch Frankenstein featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. That’s Christmassy too, right?
2. Explore London’s many parks
For those of you itching to go outside, London’s parks have a lot to offer, even during the winter. Take a stroll around Richmond Park and try to spot some deer, or head over to the sprawling grass acres at Hampstead Heath. If you’ve been sticking religiously to the government-allotted dose of daily exercise, maybe you could even mount Parliament Hill – your leg muscles probably haven’t atrophied too much to handle the slight gradient!
3. Attend an online concert
The show must go on, and while vibing in your room under the lonely string of fairy lights isn’t quite the perfect substitute for going at it in a mosh-pit, the lineup of musical events this December month is definitely worth checking out. Highlights include the debut of Song Machine Live by Gorillaz over the 12thand 13thof December, the LSESU Drama Society Musical Revue on the 7thof December, as well as a virtual orchestra playing iconic game music hosted during the CLUE New Year’s Charity Livestream, featuring your fellow LSE students.
4. Unwind with some online games
Looking to keep in touch with friends without face-to-face interactions? Gaming is a great way to stay connected. If you’ve jumped on the Among Us trend, the LSESU Gaming Society’s Discord server is a great place to find people for a lobby. If you’re more into classic social deduction games, check out netgames.io for familiar names like Spyfall and Avalon. Make sure to follow the LSESU Tabletop Society for other events over the winter break, including a livestream Call of Cthulhu.
5. Actually study for your January exams
…Like that’s going to happen.
