Was your plane ticket home too expensive? Do you live over nine hours away? Maybe you would rather stay on a warm, beautiful campus than encounter your entire family for Thanksgiving. Whatever the case may be, you’re here are SCU for Thanksgiving Break. Some may look down on you or assume reasons why you aren’t going home. Instead show them that while their family members argue about post-election results, you’ll be having fun.
1. Book a place on Airbnb
Finding a place to stay is probably the first problem you’ll encounter if you don’t want to stay on campus. Even if it’s not a problem, you may want to try staying someplace else for a change. Ever imagine what it would be like to live in Berkeley or Napa for a week? Use Airbnb to put in a destination, a timespan, and other preferences so you can book a room to stay in.
2. Spend time with friends or make new ones!
I know “making new friends” sounds like a hassle within a cliché, but you’re bound to get lonely if you’re cooped up in your room the whole break. Find the people that chose to do the same thing as you; you know you already have one commonality. If you want to expand your boundaries, participate in activities, go to parks, coffee shops, etc. You’ll have the opportunity to talk to people you wouldn’t necessarily get if you were in school or home. If you know they’re going to be on or near campus, spend quality time with friends, something else you may not be able to do during the school year.
3. Try new activities
Whether it be redoing your room or learning martial arts, you should use this break as an opportunity to break out of your shell and dazzle your friends when they come back. For all of you that are curious about the martial arts I just mentioned, Wushu Central Martial Arts Academy (about a mile away from SCU) offers a free trial session of two weeks of classes. It’s lit. If you don’t want to acquire a new hobby or exert that much energy, the city of Santa Clara has numerous events going on during Thanksgiving week. You can participate in the Jingle Fest Craft Fair, get tickets for the 49ers game, skate around the Holiday Ice Rink at Santa Clara Central Park, attend California’s Great America “Winterfest,” and a lot more.
4. Try new F O O D
As almost everyone knows, Downtown San Jose and the general San Jose area offers interesting and delicious food, especially if you’re not willing to drive to SF. There’s all kinds of food waiting out there for you to try. Tapas, Mediterranean food, Ethiopian food, Burmese food, and many more are all cuisines offered around you. Here are some specific names if you don’t feel like researching: La Catalana (tapas), Gotta Eatta Pita (Mediterranean), Gojo Ethiopian Restaurant (take a guess), Sweet Mango (Burmese), and Vegetarian House. I urge you all to take a walk on the wild side and explore new areas and new dishes – minimal effort and time required!
5. Work?
School is a drag sometimes and we all definitely need a break at some point, but this could be your chance to get ahead on some of the homework that everyone else will stress about on Sunday. Maybe you have a big project or remember those finals that come up right around the corner. Break can be an opportunity to work on time management skills. Another way of approaching work is getting an actual job or working more for the one you previously had. Because a majority of employees take a break from their job to go back home, multiple businesses will be dying for any extra help. Possibly the least pleasing option, but definitely the best option for long-term goals!
So there you have it. Some tips to keep you entertained on or around campus during Thanksgiving Break.