As Thanksgiving approaches, there is one main thing on our minds (besides no classes, going home, and rapidly approaching finals week—yikes!): the good things we have in life, the things for which we give thanks. In the true spirit of the often meal-centric holiday, here is a list of things college students are thankful for besides food (unless it is free—see number 2).
1. An available washer or dryer in the laundry room.
This may seem completely mundane, but everyone has experienced this scenario: It’s 8:00PM on a Tuesday, you have three tests to study for, and you realize you have no clean underwear for tomorrow. After considering going out and buying another few pairs so you can put off laundry to an even later date (admit it, we’ve all been there), you calculate you can do a quick load of laundry. Pressed for time, you hurry down to the laundry room with your dirty clothes, only to find one single washing machine with its door open, free of clothes. After you thank your lucky stars that for once the student-to-washing-machine ratio worked out in your favor, you begin your load of laundry, happy that your chore will not slow you down (or make you miss your weekly New Girl viewing).
Similar: Your favorite table in the cafeteria/library being open, or the vacancy of your favorite shower.
2. Free… Well, just about anything!
Making no effort to debunk the “Poor College Student” stereotype, we college students love our free stuff. We flock to it: free food, free stickers, free candy, free sunglasses… Just about anything is instantly more appealing when the word “free” is tagged in front of it. Once, I (a major needle-phobe) felt the strong urge to get a flu shot, simply because it was free. Sure, I thought it was also good for my health, but the mention of the word “free” was what drew me in. This is also apparent if you look at my t-shirt collection: so many of them I will never wear, but, hey, they were free!
Similar feelings: Student discounts EVERYWHERE.
3. Those pictures your parents send you of your dog/cat/bunny/fish/etc.
It’s true: we all have a strong attachment to our pets, and being away at school makes it difficult when we don’t see them for a long time. So, it’s always nice when mom or dad sends you a picture of your dog in an absurd pose, or your cat doing something that’s so adorable it should be illegal. In fact, even friends of people who receive these pictures have a fringe benefit (unless of course they’re tired of hearing about said creature, in which case the following does not occur): when you receive the picture in a group of people, it is only customary that you share it with everyone in your presence to a chorus of “awww”s or laughs. Fido and you become more popular, and you become happier having seen a picture of your favorite ball of fur in the process: wins all around.
Similar: Someone walking his or her dog around campus, or walking your own dog around campus.
4. Going home on break to a tall stack of catalogs/magazines/mail.
Okay, this one might just be me. Don’t you love going home to a fresh stack of mail to sort through and enjoy? I like to read a magazine or catalog with my breakfast in the morning when at home. Growing up, I always hated that they only came monthly or bi-weekly, as I had to re-read the same one over and over until a new one arrived. But, wait no more: now that I only go home every now and then, there is always a stack of reading/perusing material waiting for me when I do. It’s like coming out of a cave and being brought back into the outside world, one full of style tips, the latest sweaters, and countless recipes for me to make the mental note of trying (but rarely do).
Similar: Turning on your phone and having a bunch of notifications or messages, waking up in the morning to a number of emails (that you don’t have to answer immediately).
5. Being only a short walk away from your friends at all times.
Oh, come on, I couldn’t write a post about being thankful without including something a little sappy. Whether your friends live in the same room as you, down the hall, or across campus, you are never too far away from them. Gatherings become easy to coordinate, dinners are easy to arrange, and you see all of them on a regular basis. When your friend is having a rough day, all you have to do is pull on your slippers and pad down the hall in order to give her words of encouragement, instead of having to drive 30 minutes to talk to her or being only able to offer your comfort over the phone. When you and your friends want to get together, you can hang out in the dorms in your sweatpants instead of getting dressed up and going out in public. When you have to eat dinner, all of your friends are nearby and are easily capable of joining you. This is the only time in our lives where this will be the case; it’s best to enjoy it while it happens.
Similar: Absolutely nothing compares to this.