Thanksgiving is a time to gather with your family and give thanks for all the things that have happened so far in the year. You get to celebrate with tons of food, holiday games, and spend time with loved ones, but what happens if you’re unable to go home for Thanksgiving? Sometimes a job, extracurricular activity, or even the lack of time prevents you from going home. We have 8 ideas on how to celebrate Thanksgiving in your college town!
1 Friendsgiving.
Get together with all of the people in your hall and friends, on or off campus, and have a Thanksgiving day potluck. It is a good way to show your friends you appreciate their friendship, and also a great way to make new friends!
2. Catch up on sleep.
No, really. Sleep is a beautiful thing and often times hard to come by when you’re majoring in procrastination. Your roommates are probably gone and the halls are quiet. Enjoy the peace and quiet! Turn on Netflix, dim the lights, and rest!
3. Make a fort.
Use those bunk beds and lofts to make yourself a fort. It will be fun, plus you won’t be thinking about not being home with your family. Once your fort is complete you can watch a movie, paint your nails, and have a dessert for dinner — no judgement here! Go to the dollar store and invest in some cheap lights to set a relaxing mood!
4. Clean. Your. Room.
We know that some of you regularly vacuum, dust, and rotate your mattress, but then there are those of you that stack dishes in the corner hoping the cleaning Genie will magically appear and do all the work for you. This is the perfect time to get a deep clean in! It will take some work, but your room will be clean going into finals week giving you calm studying space.
5. Read a book.
It’s hard to read for enjoyment when you’re writing papers, reading textbooks, and working on projects. Take this time to read something you will enjoy! Read a guilty pleasure book (Nicholas Sparks *cough cough*) for extra oomph.
6. Volunteer.
Whether that be at an animal shelter, a food shelter, or a community center, it doesn’t matter. Serving others on a day of thanks will bring happiness to those you are helping. It will get you out of the house, and you will feel good afterwards.
7. Get outdoors.
Take yourself on a tour of campus and explore buildings you are not familiar with. Bald Hill and Mary’s Peak are relatively close to the Oregon State Campus. Bring a friend, pack a lunch, and enjoy the outdoors!
8. Try new foods.
Just because it is Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you have to cook a turkey. Try that curry recipe you’ve been dying to make. Make pizza dough from scratch. There are a ton of recipes, and now is the perfect time to make one of them!
Happy Thanksgiving, Beavs! Have any other ideas on what to do when you spend Thanksgiving on campus? Let us know!