Tomorrow you will travel either by car, bus, train or plan to your home for just five days. For most BU students, Thanksgiving Break is the first time back since August and the first time seeing our family and friends. And while you’ll be back in three weeks for Winter Break, you will still feel the pressure of those five short days. Here’s how to take advantage of your precious time home.
1. Prioritize
The truth is in five days, you won’t have the time to see all the people you want to see or do all the things you want to do. Think about the friends you’ve missed the most or the places you’ve desperately wanted to be, and pick what is most important to you. Soon enough you’ll be back for a whole month with plenty of time to fit in everything you couldn’t before.
2. Stock up
Drag your parents to the grocery store and stock up on snacks for finals week. Buy all the stuff that you haven’t had time to buy at school such as new shampoo or toothpaste. Grab your warmest clothes to bring with you just in case December is super cold. Making these preparations will help you stress out less the next three weeks.
3. Get work done
Finals are going to be here soon and you may feel pressured to do school work over break. But you don’t want to spend your time home reading about the Cold War or writing a lab report. Either block out time to complete your work before break or spend your travel time doing it. That way, when you’re having fun with your family and friends, there’s no voice in the back of your head nagging you about the stats homework due on Monday.
4. Don’t overstretch yourself
There are so many texts coming in and different events planned and you want to go to everything. But you can’t. Make plans but don’t make so many that your calendar looks like a pre-med student’s class schedule. And remember, as you are staying with your family, they are the first priority. If there are conflicts, talk to your parents and see if you can work out a compromise where you still spend time with them and your friends.
5. Stay in the moment
When you’re with one group of people, try not to think ahead to your plans in four hours. You’ve waited three months to see everyone, so don’t let your time be spent worrying about how your next hangout is going to be. Enjoy every interaction as it happens.
6. Be thankful
There may be times you get frustrated with your family or friends and your sudden lack of independence compared to your college life. But be thankful. Be thankful for a bedroom without anyone else. Be thankful for home-cooked food. Be thankful for a shower without shoes. Be thankful for your pet getting excited to see you. Be thankful for the laughs and the jokes and the ease of being around people who have known you forever. Be thankful for the hugs from the ones you love. Be thankful for those moments when you are so happy to be home.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break everyone.