I won’t be going on a skiing holiday this year, which is a shame as the cold weather here would be very good for acclimatisation.

But, I can still watch the video of that guy ski down the escalator at Angel (Tube station) from the comfort of my stone cold house.

It’s freezing, I’m watching people do stunts that I’d never have even thought of let alone attempted - it really is an awful lot like being on the slopes!

Never before have I wanted to get back to my parental home for the winter break, where there’s working central heating and - such luxury - insulation to actually retain the heat.

I’m currently wearing a dressing gown over my clothes, have a hot water bottle on my lap, and can see my breath in front of my face. A new low?

However, I did find something to cheer me up: these Electronic Tint Ski Goggles, a snip at $250. Better put that Christmas present request in quickly.

And for anyone so inclined, some female Austrian ski instrctors have published a calendar, but I’m sure that you wouldn’t be interested in that…

Like me, you might be in need of a diversion from stressing about January deadlines. As a final year student, the feeling of panic/terror/impending doom has set on a lot earlier this year. Here’s my suggestion of how to quell those feelings by ignoring the issue:

If you’re lucky enough to be escaping from deadline stress on a holiday over the Christmas break and you’re taking a night flight, look out for the toolkit orbiting earth.

An unfortunate NASA astronaut managed to lose hold of a tool bag worth £70,000 while working on the International Space Station. My Dad always told me that it was bad to laugh at another person’s misfortune, but sometimes it’s hard to suppress a smirk.

If you’re not lucky enough to be jetting off but still want to be distracted by the sight of someone else’s very expensive mistake, use a pair of binoculars and the instructions at the link above.

More productively, another welcome distraction could be planning your next trip.

If you’re thinking of travelling to a specific country in one of your uni holidays, keep up with the news from there.

It’s a good way of researching things to do, as well as making you aware of any potential problems with travelling there.

Of course, it also means that you’ll have plenty to talk about with any locals that you befriend, who will no doubt be impressed with your worldly knowledge.

Just search the country profiles section of the BBC for links (in the right hand bar) to the latest news stories for each country.

For my part, I’ve found myself unexpectedly engrossed in the pension crises in Japan’s aging population. Anything to tear me away from a map of the Persian/Greek conflict…

1. The early bird catches the worm

Peru, Brazil and Bolivia sound pretty appealing, even more so if you’re stuck in the library with a coffee and a deadline.

If an adventure trip there sounds good then book before 15th November at STA Travel to get 10% off the Early Bird Adventure Trip prices.

2. Christmas at home makes you wonder if you’re adopted

With the British Winter hovering somewhere between rainy and windy, it’s even easier to leave the family falling asleep in front of the TV and head elsewhere.

Whether it’s budget Bruges or blow-out New York, give the Queen’s speech a miss this year.

3. Plan an adventure in your lecture

An around the world trip, though an amazing experience, may not be so amazing to plan.

This is where the STA Travel Route Planner comes in.

Simply click on the cities you’d like to go to, the dates you want to leave and get your quote!
All of these deals and more are available from STATravel.co.uk