Going to college far away from home can be hard, especially when you have to spend such a family-oriented holiday away from home. There are all sorts of reasons that people cannot go home for the holidays in college, especially Thanksgiving, when many schools give short breaks.
- Find a place around you to volunteer and reach out to help
Especially around college towns, there are always places that you can go to help and give back to the community that you go to college in. There are places like food banks or homeless shelters that could always use more hands, especially around the holidays. This is a great way to show that you’re thankful for this holiday. Take the time to work in a soup kitchen or deliver meals to people in need, and bring some light to their Thanksgiving.
- Facetime your friends, family, and other loved ones
Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate what you’re thankful for and I’m sure everyone is thankful for those they love. It’s great to reach out to people that you could especially miss on a special day like Thanksgiving. It’s great to tell those you love how thankful you are for them and it will brighten your day just to see their faces. It’s also great to reach out to family members or friends that you do not talk to regularly.
- Splurge and have a self-care day
Thanksgiving is not just about showing thanks for everything you have. It’s also about showing thanks to yourself. Showing self-care is important and is a great thing to do when you have some time alone. You can do things like take a long shower, do your nails, make a cup of tea, and relax. Watch some Netflix and let your brain relax. This is a super good way to have a relaxing holiday and end it feeling better about yourself.
- Go Black Friday shopping
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the shopping that you get to do after. Black Friday has some of the best deals and you can find some of these on Thanksgiving. If you prepare you can get the best deals at all. Shopping is also one of my favorite pastimes and you can go ahead and get all of your Christmas shopping out of the way.
- Find a good place to walk in nature and remember all you have to be thankful for
Nature is beautiful and even though it’s starting to get cold around Thanksgiving, the weather in most places is still pretty. Find a nice public trail near your campus or where you’re staying in your college town and go take a walk. Nature is a perfect way to think about all you have to be thankful for and enjoy what the world has to offer.
- Take the time to do a deep-clean
Use this time to organize your room or do your laundry. You can take this time to organize your space and get your room nice and ready for finals week. You’ll be restarting school with a clean and organized space.
- Order your favorite take-out
One of the very important things that Thanksgiving includes is that everyone loves good food. This way, even if the traditional Thanksgiving food is not your favorite, you can still get delicious food that you like. Find something that is open and have a nice meal by yourself. Sludge for your favorite food and have a nice relaxing meal by yourself – and maybe watch the parade on TV while you do it.
- Try and find something fun to do
A lot of towns have activities or events that you can do, too. Many towns have things like parades you can go and watch. Sometimes, it’s important just to get out of the confined space you are in and see something nice and fun.
- Prepare for finals
After Thanksgiving, it’s time for the hardest part of the year for most students. It’s finals season, so this is a good time to sit down and start preparing for this. This is the perfect chance to get a headstart on all of your work. You have the benefit of being alone and having extra time to get ahead, so why not use it?
This is my guide to how you can survive and have a good and productive time if you cannot make it back to see your family over this holiday. I know it can be hard, but I hope you can do some of these things and they can brighten your mood.