It is a festive season, yay! Our friendly Nerds at the Nerdify reviews team had their say in the selection of original Christmas ideas. Some of them recommended dressing up as Santa, while the others found it to be way too old school. Still, we came up with seven original recommendations that will not only make the next Christmas season memorable for you but will also inspire others to make this world a little bit better, brighter, and safer. After all, Christmas is about love and taking care of each other, bringing hope and light to everyone!

Visit Sick People at The Hospital. Christmas should be fun for everyone regardless of age or gender, yet there are many people who are sick and cannot get out or dance around the Xmas tree. Visiting sick people at the hospital or paying a visit to the children’s hospital will be a great reward for anyone as soon as one sees the happy eyes and even the tears of those who wait for a miracle to happen. As children, we all believe that Christmas is a magical time, so why not take that magic stick in our hands and spend the next Christmas by turning to one of Santa’s helpers?

Organize Charity Meals for The Poor. A lot of nerds that constitute the Nerdify reviews team have discussed the way how not so rich people organize charity meals for the poor people in New York, California, and many other cities and villages nationwide. It does not take much to share your joy and participate in a great charity event with both small and old. It is also a great way to show the younger siblings and friends that kindness starts in the family and that anyone can make a difference. Unlike the gift that is often unwrapped and forgotten soon after, this kind of Christmas will be remembered for a lifetime.

Create a Handmade Gift. This is probably the best part of all because it inspires people for being creative and is a lot of fun during the holidays. Instead of trying to catch all the possible discounts at the local malls, creating something with your own hands will be much more precious to the person you give it for. Do you remember how we would paint a picture or write a little note in that awesome child’s writing just to see the happy tears in the eyes of parents or grandparents? Now it really shows that something is done from the heart, yet most importantly, it will be a truly unique present!

Volunteer for the Local Community. It was surprising even for us at the Nerdify reviews, yet there are many things a person can do as a volunteer for the local community. Christmas is a busy season, so everyone tries to take a break and have some rest. Still, there are many professionals that still work on a daily basis and do their best to keep the city and the people safe and well. Even if it is something very little that you can offer, do not hesitate to give your local community a call and ask if there is anything you can do as a volunteer!

Organize a Family Reunion. It is really bad that most of us meet only during the holidays. Our advice is to start early and organize a great family reunion with a lot of surprises, special games, and the stories that people of all ages can share. If you know that someone struggles financially, organize their transfer to the place of gathering, but do it in a very kind way without offending anyone. At the same time, focus on the people, not on the conditions because it is the happy faces of the family members that really matter.

Start Writing a Story or Paint a Picture. Another fun idea is to start writing a story where you try to finish at least one page a day. It can be a detective story, something for the children, a secret diary or even a new Star Trek episode. If you do not feel like writing, you can try to paint a picture or even decorate the house!

Start Learning About a New Culture. No Nerdify reviews post is considered complete if we do not offer at least one geeky suggestion. The best way to spend Christmas in an original way is to start learning a foreign language (even if it is only several phrases from the tourist book) or exploring a new culture. We often think that we know everything about the world, but try to read up about Japan or even Great Britain’s customs to discover much more than you can ever imagine!

No matter how you plan to spend the next Christmas, keep positive, have fun, and remember that it is about pure love that we share with each other!

Wishing you happy holidays,

Nerdify Reviews Team

Life success is dependent on numerous factors, such as intelligence, professionalism, and ability to communicate effectively. Strong social skills also help students enjoy their college years by ensuring easier interaction with peers and teachers. Today, many people stay at home for self-isolation from the coronavirus outbreak and find it challenging to entertain. Why not use this time for personal growth by improving your social skills? Here are the five strategies from Nerdify that can help.

1. Maintain Contact with People Through Social Media and Messengers
Coronavirus outbreak is the period, when people are limited in live communication. However, the modern world provides us with numerous media for distant communication, such as social media and messengers. Use these means to stay in touch with people you know. It is good to start the conversation by sharing some interesting material you find. Do not just resend it, as people are often annoyed by suggestions to study something they were not looking for. Instead, introduce that content by stating the most exciting points or giving your impression about it. It will help start a conversation.

2. Ask People About Things That Are Currently Important
Today, many people are anxious and frightened, and the best way to manage these emotions is to talk about them. Ask your friends and acquaintances about their health and the possible dangers they feel. Many of us have grandparents and other family members in the risk group. You could ask your friends about such relatives, as it is likely a topic of their concern. Think of the other problems your important ones could be facing and communicate them about these issues.

3. Formulate Questions in A Way That Demonstrates Your Real Interest
Often, people consider interest in their lives as a sort of politeness and conventional manners. Your task is persuading them in your real engagement. Give some introduction to the question, as it highlights your interest and provides a person with the context of the question, which is often missing during communication through social media. Prefer open-ended questions, which suggest a description of the situation in several sentences rather than words. For example, asking “They say that coronavirus is especially dangerous for older people. How is your granny doing these times?” is much better than “Is your granny ill?”

4. Avoid Emoji and Express Your Feelings in Words
Although emoji were designed to facilitate communication through social media, they actually reduce social skills and emotional intelligence. You just substitute your facial expression, tone of voice, and other non-verbal clues with a picture that still could be interpreted slightly differently by another person. After you have chosen some emoji, stop and think, what emotion it expresses. Now, substitute this symbol with the words describing your feelings and ideas.

5. Be Patient to Alternative Opinions
Coronavirus is an issue of current interest and importance, and many sources are trying to benefit by creating “fake” news. Some people could believe them, repost, and try to discuss it with you. It could be annoying, but do not get anxious. Try to listen to them and focus on their emotions rather than unrealistic information. It is excellent, if you are aware of the real situation and have facts that disprove the “fake” news. But do not give them solid knowledge. Instead, acknowledge the fears and emotions of the person, then give your opinion without neglecting the information they state. It will maintain a positive relationship and make your opponent open to your position.

Following these Nerdify tips will help you maintain and improve your social skills while staying at home, as well as make your personal relationships with other people better.

If you’re looking for the best hobby for you as a college student, you’ve come to the right place. Nerdify reviews team wants to help turn your free time into an exciting and useful activity!

Which will be your pick? Will you choose to explore the world or let your creativity blossom? This blog post reveals the pros and cons of the most popular hobbies for college students and will help you make the right choice.

1. Geocaching

If you aren’t familiar with geocaching, it’s basically an outdoor hide-and-seek game using GPS. It’ll make you go to the places you’ve never been before, feel that treasure hunt rush, and have fresh air.

Pros

• Costs nothing, except maybe bus or train fare
• Will make you go outside
• You’ll feel like a treasure hunter
• Cool activity to do with friends and family
• Explore nature
• You’ll see your usual environment from a new perspective

Cons

• Easy to get sucked in, if that can be considered a con

Geocaching is fun and exciting, costs nearly nothing, and promotes physical activity – what’s not to love?

2. Blogging

If you have ideas to write about, thoughts you’d like to save forever, or just practice writing, start your own blog. Plus, your blog can become a part of your professional portfolio.

Pros

• Free
• No limitations – you do you
• Will help you improve your writing skills tremendously
• You’ll learn a lot along the way
• Can potentially help you build a career
• You can make a difference in any field
• You can make money from it
• Connect with new people

Cons

• Requires regular updates
• You can get into writer’s block
• Trolling can get in your way

If you start a blog, your writing will live on, that’s for sure. If you’re willing to invest time and effort in it, you’ll surely get the benefits described above.

3. Crafting and Artistry

This is an awesome talent that you should absolutely embrace in your free time. It absolutely doesn’t matter what you can do – knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, carving, drawing, painting, or DYI-ing things – all of it goes.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• You can let your imagination run wild
• You can create original, one-of-a-kind things
• You’ll always have awesome gifts to give to friends and family
• You can sell stuff and earn money from your awesome hobby (try Etsy)
• Whoever you tell about your hobby, will be in awe

Cons

• Requires patience
• Some materials can be up there in price

Make sure to take a moment to consider this great option!

4. Thrifting

There’s nothing more exciting than finding a cool item in a thrift store at a bargain price. Remember that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

Pros

• Value is usually way higher than the price
• You can find unique and valuable things
• Great way to find collectibles
• By thrifting, you are giving a second life to things, which is good for the environment

Cons

• Requires a lot of time
• Sometimes you’ll fail to find what you want, but don’t get discouraged.

Thrifting is a great idea however you look at it, so happy hunting!

5. Exercise

If you’re already exercising on the regular basis, hats off to you. If you don’t – consider making it your hobby because it’s right for pretty much anyone.  

Pros

• Increase energy
• Look younger and feel better
• Overcome the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle
• Maintain healthy weight
• Improve body strength and posture

Cons

• Depending on what you do, there’s risk of injury, so make sure you know what you’re doing
• If you choose to go to the gym, it can be expensive

You don’t need gym membership to go for a run every morning, so invest your time in yourself!

6. Playing an instrument

This is a hobby that always makes people go, “Wow!”  when you tell about it. If you already can play an instrument, use your free time to perfect your skill. If not, you can spend your time learning how to play an instrument.

Pros

• It’s awesome and cool
• Makes you stand out
• Trains your brain
• Can become a source of income one day

Cons

• Instruments are expensive, but you’ll rarely have to buy a new instrument

If you play for your own enjoyment or want to finally learn to play an instrument, it’s the perfect time to start!

7. Photography

Being good at taking pictures is a great skill you’ll be able to use your whole life and you don’t need an expensive camera to be an awesome photographer.

Pros

• Experience pleasure in photography
• People will ask you to take pictures
• Keeping precious moments forever
• Requires no investment (who said you can’t use your smartphone camera?)
• Can become a career

Cons

• If you decide to invest in a camera and gear, be prepared to spend a lot

Photography is a beautiful hobby and requires only one thing – your passion.

8. Cooking

Cooking is an essential skill to have in life. We live in the world of processed foods that aren’t that great for us, so why not learn how to cook yourself?

Pros

• You’ll eat tasty foods
• People will praise your cooking skills
• You’ll learn how to save money on food
• You won’t want to return to McDonald’s ever again after making your own chicken nuggets

Cons

• Ingredients might be expensive depending on the recipe

Cooking is a great hobby to treat yourself, literally.

9. Urban exploration

You probably think you know the area you live in pretty well, but often there’s a lot more to discover. Exploring your environment is an exciting hobby that will become a source of never-ending topics to discuss with friends!

Pros

• Learn to find your bearings on the ground
• Find fun and interesting places to spend time
• Find what to share with friends and family
• Find great places to study (cafés, libraries, etc)
• Take lots of great pictures if you want to

Cons

• Might require some research
• Time-consuming

Become a tourist in your own city for one day – it might just be the coolest hobby you can find as a college student!

10. Origami

Most people who have tried origami, have probably tossed it after failing to fold a crane. If you’re a tough cookie, you’ll nail even the hardest tasks! P.S. We have a very passionate origami-fan in our Nerdify reviews team too!
Pros

• Unique
• Easy to find tutorials
• Helps focus
• Entertaining
• Very low cost

Cons

• Might be frustrating when it gets too challenging

For a college student, origami is a cool hobby that is cheap and fun, so give it a try!

11. Learn about art

If some of the best places you’ve been to is the art museum, you might consider making learning about art your hobby. You can watch retro movies, learn about the history of fashion, or focus on specific periods in art history.

Pros

• Broadens your horizons
• Free
• Can make for a long-term hobby

Cons

• Isn’t a too relaxing hobby for a busy student

Make learning about what you love about your hobby!

12. Learn a new skill that pays

It’s always great to do what you love for money. You can learn how to do manicure, cut and style hair, do makeup, or carve wood. All these hobbies can help you earn money as a college student.

Pros

• You get to improve your skills
• You can earn from a hobby

Cons

• Requires having good skills, to begin with

Hobbies that pay are among the most popular hobbies for college students!

Whichever hobby you pick, remember that the best one will be the one that you are passionate about. Nerdify reviews team agrees on one thing: pick whatever puts a smile on your face and you’re golden!