10 Things College Students Should Do Over Thanksgiving Break

1. Spend some time with your OG squad

You’ve been at college for so long, and you’ve either made some new friends or spent a lot of time hanging out with your Bona Squad. Now that you’re back home, it’s time to catch up with all the people you’ve missed since you came back to campus. Bum out in a Burger King parking lot for a few hours. Bum out in a park for a couple hours. Bum out in your friends’ basement for a few hours. You and your friends probably do more exciting things than I do with mine, but you get the point – see your amigos.

How you’ll feel when you see your high school friends again. <br> Image courtesy of adventitiousviolet.com.

2. Watch the parade

I’m from New York City, so the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is kind of a big deal. My family and I have gotten tickets to sit on the Museum of Natural History’s steps and watch everything go by – it’s really a spectacular time. It’s not as good on TV, but when you’re chilling around with the family on Thanksgiving morning – like you should – throw this on, for sure.

Performers at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. <br> Image courtesy of nyc.brightestyoungthings.com.

3. Eat some real food

You’ve got the opportunity to eat something not from the Hickey. Take it. Eat some turkey. Grab a slice of Aunt Sally’s famous Pumpkin-Pecan Pie. Maybe even make a sandwich just to remind yourself of what actual food tastes like. Thanksgiving is the national holiday of stuffing yourself, and the best place to do that is somewhere far away from campus.

Image courtesy of popsugar.com.

4. Sleep

You’ve got a couple days not only away from campus but off from school. Make them count! As the end of the semester comes closer and closer, everyone will inevitably be getting a lot of work thrown at them. If you’ve been losing sleep trying to catch up, or if you’ve got a lot coming up soon, getting a sleeping schedule back on track is your best option for facing the remainder of the semester.

Image courtesy of hercampus.com. 

5. Go Black Friday Shopping

Christmas is right around the corner, and there’s no better time to pick up some affordable gifts than National Capitalism Day: Black Friday. Prices are slashed, deals run rampant, and it’s an all-out consumerism feeding frenzy… and I love it. There’s not much shopping to be done around Olean unless you’re a huge fan of Wal-Mart, but at least where I’m from, there’s a mall within walking distance of everywhere in Queens, and Manhattan – where there are literally thousands of reputable places to shop – is just a train ride away. Take advantage of being close to some real shopping opportunities, and make sure to do so during the most affordable time of the year.

Don’t get trampled. <br> Image courtesy of awesomelyluvvie.com. 

6. If you have any big final projects, make sure to do some work on them

It’s important to breathe and take a break from school. But don’t forget that your schoolwork still exists! Many professors, especially those who aren’t intending on producing traditional final exams, have an end-of-the-semester project planned to count as a final grade, and most of those are due upon return from Thanksgiving. Besides taking advantages of the comfort of home, take advantage of the privacy of your home to get some uninterrupted work done.

Struggling to do homework over break. <br> Image courtesy of srtrends.com. 

7. Even more importantly – make sure you’re studying for your finals

Don’t forget to do your work but much more importantly, don’t forget to keep your studying up to date. Especially on Thanksgiving – unless you’re planning on going clubbing instead of eating the first home-cooked meal you’ve had in months – you’ll have some down time, and finals are literally right around the corner. It sounds like a foreign concept, but take some notebooks and textbooks home and use that down time to get a head start on studying. You’ll feel much more confident going into finals week with some studying already under your belt.

Image courtesy of studentshare.net. 

8. Let your parents pay for a bunch of stuff

You’re home. You’re a college student. Your wallet might be a little strapped. Your parents will also be in that home. Your parents love taking care of you. If you want to, say, have your parents go grocery shopping for you and drive it all back in your car… that’s understandable. You should be treating yo’ self this break, and that includes taking advantage of parental love.

Take advantage of the fact that you’re not spending a dime. <br> Image courtesy of uloop.com.

9. Check out The Good Dinosaur

It’s a new Pixar movie coming out November 25th about dinosaurs. That’s fuckin cool. Watch that shit.

‘The Good Dinosaur’ comes out in theaters Nov. 25. <br> Image courtesy of perezhilton.com. 

10. Chop down a Christmas tree

Once Halloween is over, it’s officially Christmas season. Sure, there’s one detour for a turkey or something, but the Christmas train isn’t making any stops at all. If your family doesn’t have one already, go chop down a beautiful, fancy tree and let the world know that you can’t wait for Second National Capitalism Day: Christmas. I know I can’t.

Image courtesy of buzzfeed.com. 

 

-Michael O’Malley