With retailers and advertisements in full swing, it’s a wonder that anyone has managed to escape the message to buy, buy, buy. But many members of the Northwestern community have not yet even realized it’s the “most wonderful time of the year,” let alone begun their shopping.

The most popular reason for not doing things on time is simple: not having the time to do it. Many students say they are just too busy during the end of Fall Quarter with final examinations and papers to worry about shopping.

Others plead lack of funds, hoping that a little money will magically appear while they procrastinate.

“I was thinking about it the other day and I realized I haven’t bought any presents yet,” Education junior Terry Bailey said. “But then I realized that I haven’t paid the rent yet either, so I guess it all works out.”

Others, such as Jeremy Wingerter, assistant director of the Campus Activities Office, remain in denial that the holiday is already looming.

“It’s too early to think about shopping,” Wingerter said. “I’m still mad at people for having Christmas decorations up already.”

There’s another breed of late shoppers though, who are not so much procrastinators as just late shoppers. Weinberg freshman Neil Bhamb described his minimalist strategy.

“I go. I buy. I come back,” is a generally quick and effective way of doing things, he said.

Speech freshman Joe Montegna agreed, saying that waiting until the last minute can produce better gifts, too.

“I don’t really procrastinate,” Montegna said. “I just take a long time to find the perfect thing.”

Avoiding the crowds is a motive for both procrastinators and those who get their shopping done early. Medill freshman Rachel Feldman shops late in hopes that “everyone else is more on the ball than me and does their shopping early, so when I finally get around to it the stores won’t be as packed. Sadly, this theory never works.”

Weinberg freshman Lacey Langguth knows the real secret to avoiding the crowds is to shop early.

“Sometimes I think it would be faster to steal something and get out of jail than to wait in line to pay for it,” Langguth said.

Langguth is not alone in the ranks of early shoppers. Campus Activities Office intern Jennifer Fullick said she likes to streamline the gift-buying process by buying her family members all the same gifts, such as homemade salsa or framed pictures.

Weinberg freshman Rena Shah added, “I usually get all my gifts for people before Winter Break because I’ll only see my friends during school.”

With any luck, everyone will get their list taken care of before the season of giving begins. But there will always remain a few like Weinberg freshman Paul Hong, who described himself as “one of those people who go to the mall on the 22nd of December, look around to find the perfect gift, and don’t buy anything. Same thing happens on the 23rd, then I end up buying generic stuff on the 24th.” For extreme procrastinators, there are extended shopping hours.

But Speech freshman Greg Pietrowski had a different take on the matter.

“I am in college — it’s a great excuse not to buy gifts for anyone,” he said. “No procrastination necessary!”