Holidays aren’t always like the seamless events portrayed in Norman Rockwell paintings, but they are still a treasured time to feast and reflect on happy memories with the people we love most. The Thanksgiving break presents a unique challenge to college students who have only a few days to travel and relax before they return to school and complete the fall semester. Here are some tips for students who need to balance the pressures of young adult life with their trip back home.
Don’t leave campus without making sure that all important assignments have been completed or submitted.
“It’s important to have a clear to-do list for the days before the break begins,” says Sheila Fabius, student success specialist in the Office of Undergraduate Student Success.
The last nagging thought anyone needs over the break is whether or not a paper was supposed to be submitted while the deadline has already passed. Double check all due dates near the end of the semester to make sure nothing slips your mind.
Do use the long Thanksgiving weekend as an opportunity to get some much-needed sleep. It’s likely that most students have spent too many nights during the semester staying up late, and family members will notice. According to the National Sleep Foundation, fewer than 15 percent of college students get the recommended eight to nine hours of sleep they need each night, and lack of sleep often causes anxiousness and mood swings. That is not the best attitude to imagine bringing to the dinner table.
Don’t lose patience with relatives; they haven’t seen you in months. College can bring about large changes to the household when students come home for break, according to an article from Scholarships.com. Students who became accustomed to a life without family rules will need time to readjust to a busy home with specific curfews and expectations. Conflict may arise when students wish for personal space, while the rest of the family has been waiting to spend quality time with them. Plus, visiting relatives will be brimming with questions about how the semester has been going and which major you’ve chosen. Take the extra attention in stride.
“Take advantage of the time that everyone will be doting on you,” said Dr. Arlene Gordon, adjunct professor and director of NSU’s Brief Therapy Institute. “The loss of independence is only temporary, so enjoy feeling like a kid again.”
Do offer to help with whatever you can. Perhaps your family is like the majority of families who begin preparation for Thanksgiving Day from the beginning of November, and will spend the morning hours of turkey day cleaning, cooking, and organizing before the house is packed with visitors. If parents need an extra hand in the kitchen or with table settings, or just want someone to keep guests entertained before dinner, help them with enthusiasm. They are pulling off a monumental occasion that is filled with tradition, and everyone’s role is appreciated.
“The day is all about thanks, so if your mom is going to make your favorite foods while you’re home, do whatever you can to say thank you,” said Gordon.
Don’t neglect your homework just because it’s a holiday. Upon return to school, there will be only one week separating students from finals week, and the lazy Thanksgiving atmosphere might throw off momentum in the final stretch.
“It’s important to make a schedule in advance for the last two weeks of the semester,” said Fabius. “It’s unrealistic to study while all your cousins are over for the holidays, so figure out what time company arrives and communicate that you intend to study a few hours beforehand.” Be mindful of pending obligations that will require your full attention once the long weekend ends.
Do get excited for holiday shopping with the family. The heavy Thanksgiving feast puts most people into a carb-induced haze, but there’s no time for drowsiness the morning after — on the notorious Black Friday. Shoppers now stay up through the night to capitalize on the season’s hottest deals, and this year will most likely be no different than the last. Despite the tension that really serious shoppers create at the stores, it’s meant to be a fun day, so find humor in the never-ending lines. And, of course, mind that college budget while shopping, because some deals are too good to be true.
Although planning a visit with the family for the Thanksgiving break may not be easy, especially with college responsibilities looming in the background, it is essential to head home and spend time with the most important people we know. School and all its accompanying stressors are a fact of life for now, but Thanksgiving remains a day for food, family, and comfort.
