Surviving Thanksgiving Break on Campus

While some students can return home for Thanksgiving (something to be thankful for!), others must spend the holiday break at the dorms. What’s a student to do in that situation? Fear not, though! Here are a few stories of how fellow students braved Thanksgiving break on campus:

“I spent a lot of time watching TV series on the Internet with my few friends who stayed. Several of us are from out of state and it's not worth going home for only a few days. Besides that, I just played video games, did homework and went Black Friday shopping. Our dining halls closed, so the day before break I stuffed a couple Tupperware full of pizza from the dining hall and kept it in my fridge. I snacked on that during the day. The dorm fed us Thanksgiving dinner and we went a couple times to some restaurants across from campus. The best part was how quiet it was. You rarely get time alone and peace and quiet in a dorm, so a few days of it was welcome. I also got to take up as many washers and dryers as I wanted!”

– Kim Maples, sophomore at University of Miami

“I was trying to finish a collection of poetry. Playing music. Watching movies. Finishing up my essays and research. I felt alright, mainly because it was precisely the first time being by myself and I was preoccupied with work. I was a Resident Assistant in a university dorm and the only staff member staying behind. I cooked plenty of stuff but also went to a Thanksgiving dinner with a professor's family. Solitude is worst and best part of being by yourself as it forces you to adapt creatively and express your emotions through work.”

– Quan Nguyen, junior at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

“Last Thanksgiving break, I got a big stack of plays from the library and sat in the common room reading them all day. I read all of Christopher Durang and half of Tennessee Williams. It got really boring by the end, but it was a nice chance to relax and have some time to myself.”

– Ian Stewart, sophomore at Emerson College

“To pass the time I watched movies, played some video games, went on walks and perused the internet. It was a little lonely on campus when everyone was away for the holidays, but it was kind of nice being able to do pretty much whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to do it. I ate a lot of pasta and cereal and then one of my friends brought me back some leftovers from their parent's house. The best part about staying on campus was that I got to just relax and not worry about having to meet up with friends or do homework or anything like that.”

– Michael Jeter, junior at Central Washington University

Are you a student staying on campus during Thanksgiving break? We’d love to hear your plans! Email [email protected] to share your ideas.