By: Jaclyn Jones
While other schools are fortunate enough to get a full week off, at Mason we only get 3 days off (4 if your professors are anxious enough for break to cancel class on Tuesday). That means we need to fit in some extra relaxation into our short time frame and be ready to get back to crush final exams.
Spend time with your family.
This is not just the time to watch all the shows that have been racking up on the DVR while you are home. Talk to your relatives. Listen to the stories of your younger siblings, reminisce in the olden days and give them the pro-tips on how to survive school. If you have older siblings have them give you some words of wisdom about entering the real world soon. Your family misses you, you miss them, do not blow them off.
Catch up with friends from back home.
I am sure you all have stories you would like to share with each other ;) . It might be nice to be able to text or call each other to stay in touch, but there is nothing like a sleepover or girls night to fill each other in on all the fun details. This will also be a great way to get your mind off the friends you are missing at school. Don’t worry, a few days may seem like a lot, but you’ll still be besties after break. Look at you and your friends from home. If you all meet up and it is like nothing changed, then it’ll be the same when you go back to school- maybe with some extra hugs.
Eat a ton of food.
When are you going to have the best snacks available without having to pay for them? Never… unless you are home. Drop some hints on the special snacks you want when you get home and indulge.It’s not like bathing suit season is around the corner! There’s a dish at Thanksgiving called stuffing for a reminder. If you are not stuffed by the end of it, you didn’t do the holiday right. Make sure to save some room for the dessert.
Help out at home.
If you want to eat all the food, it has to get made somehow. Your family has been listening to your stories, complaints about professors etc. all semester. They have been supporting you emotionally, financially or both so it is time to give back to them. Just show a little thanks and help out, they will truly appreciate it. Plus, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about?
Don’t forget to take time to be alone and relax.
While it is nice to be around friends and family that you have not seen in a long time, we all need time alone. After the break you want to be well relaxed, not stressed from all the moving around you did on break. I know it’s lame, but maybe do an assignment or two. It is way better to have some off your plate for when you go back to school rather than stressing about all the work that you did not even start, trust me. Splurge on a $5 fancy face mask, watch some TV or a movie, grab the pet (let’s be honest, you missed them the most), put your feet up and be glad to be back home in your room.