There are only a few weeks left of the semester and the holidays are soon approaching. With Thanksgiving only a few days away, we will all soon find ourselves at home, spending a lot of time with our families. Spending so much time with family after not seeing them for a while can bring about some unwanted – and often times, painful – conversation topics. No matter how much we try to avoid them, these topics are always brought up among family members when we are home for the holidays.
School
Obviously, the first thing family members bring up when you come home for the holidays is school. “How are your classes going? How are your grades? Made the Dean’s List yet?” Well, considering that I just spent the last four months busting my butt studying, writing papers and doing projects, school is the last thing I want to talk about. After finals (and the entire semester in general) have drained us all, we want to come home and relax for once, not talk more about the one thing that brings us the most stress.
Career
This topic is usually a follow-up to the school conversation. “So have you found a job yet?” “What are you going to do when you graduate?” These questions/worries are already present in the back of our minds. Although we are sure of our majors and our classes, not all of us know exactly what we are going to do out of college, so when a relative asks this, it can be frustrating to not have an answer. We want them to know that we are ambitious and want a job, but don’t want them to think that we are not doing enough to find one – although it is extremely difficult.
Relationships
Having family members ask you about your relationship status is probably the most dreadful discussion you can prepare for. “Do you have a boyfriend?” “Anyone you like at school?” “It’s about that time to settle down!” Look, finding a significant other is much harder than it seems, Grandma. As a single woman, I am already annoyed enough about my relationship status – I don’t need my family to rub it in my face. I am aware of how alone I am. Sorry Grandma, but the grandkids will have to wait.
Politics
Political discussions at the Thanksgiving dinner table are always terrible enough to make you want to shove mashed potatoes in your ears. Especially with the 2016 Presidential Election having just occurred, relatives are sure to share their (unwanted) opinions and spark many arguments and disagreements. Can we please just talk about some cute video we all saw on Facebook instead?
Though these conversations with family members make us cringe and roll our eyes, we wouldn’t trade our family for the world. The time we spend with them around the holidays may be filled with awkward and repetitive conversations, but we cherish and look forward to it every year.