THANKSGIVING IS COMING. This is so exciting.
The second round of midterms is in full swing, Thanksgiving is the perfect, foreseeable, finish line. In order to make it as great as possible, take a few minutes to think and prioritize how you want to spend your time at home. That way, we have things to look forward to while cramming for a test or writing that never-ending research paper in Perkins.
1) Seeing family
This will definitely happen on Thanksgiving Day itself, so take that time to help out your family and really catch up. There are going to be so many “how is college going?” questions—just embrace them. Don’t feel like you need to catch everyone up on everything. In order to avoid getting bored with the repetitive conversation, focus on different parts of college with different relatives. In addition, enjoy having more one-on-one time with your immediate family on the couch, in the kitchen, etc. on the less busy days that you are home.
2) Seeing home friends
“See you at Thanksgiving!” was the promise of every high school friend in August. It is unrealistic that you will be able to see everyone in the four days that you are home, so prioritize whom to spend your time with. You will be able to see the largest amount of people if you and your friends figure out some sort of reunion party or large dinner. Reach out to friends in the days leading up to the holiday so that you can make sure to arrange your time in the way that makes the most sense for you and for them.
3) Getting some work done
As unpleasant as it is to include, we only have a week before finals start once we get back from Thanksgiving break. In order to minimize stress, try to budget in some hours for studying—your desk at home treated you well for the four years of high school and probably misses you!
4) Resting, relaxing, and rejuvenating
This is a weekend meant for being home, filled with opportunities to go to bed early and to sleep in. There is also time available for holiday movies on the couch or Netflix in bed. Take advantage of not going out. Your body needs it and will really appreciate the downtime when you return to school well rested.
Everyone’s priorities are different, but these are some things to consider and schedule when you are thinking about going home! You have five days—planning helps to ensure that nothing is missed and you don’t regret how you spend your time. Happy Thanksgiving!