As Thanksgiving approaches, people reflect on what they are most thankful for in their lives. Family, friends, love, and freedom are many common answers. Being a college student has made me cherish the simple things in life, that many of my relatives won’t be able to relate to. When my family asks me at Thanksgiving dinner what I am thankful for, my response will be one of these 10 things.
1. Class Cancelations
Waking up to an email from your professor stating that class is canceled has got to be one of the best feelings! With that glorious news, one could turn over and go back to sleep or take advantage of the free time and get work done, and by work, I mean watching an episode of your favorite Netflix show.
2. Home Cooked Meals
As the semester comes to an end, it means that you are getting closer to winter break and having home cooked meals almost every night. Almost every student gets sick of their limited options when it comes to the school food since many options are either too greasy or downright disgusting. There is nothing better than your grandma’s homemade gravy and meatballs, the obviously better option if compared to the chicken wraps on campus.
3. Extended Due Dates
Joy is when a professor acknowledges how exhausted his/her students are and extends a due date for a 12-page research paper. Having a professor extend a due date is usually hard to come by, so this is another moment that should be cherished. Use that extra time wisely and use it to your advantage.
4. Extra Credit
In my experience, not many professors offer extra credit in their classes. It is quite shocking to hear those two words come out of a professor’s mouth. If given the chance to complete an extra credit assignment, do it. In my four years of college, I have only been offered extra credit twice. Trust me, that is a low number compared to the amount of extra credit assignments I was offered in high school. And always remember to thank your professor for helping the less fortunate.
5. Spare Time To Watch Netflix
It is a godsend if a college student goes to class, works, and completes all their assignments to find there is still time to unwind and watch Netflix before going to sleep. College students are constantly on the go and any free time is sacred. Being able to watch Netflix and not procrastinate doing assignments is a rare moment, so cherish it, my peers.
6. Finding Money You Didn’t Think You Had
Checking your jeans pockets before laundry is when a student wishes to find spare change more than anything else in the world. Just an extra dollar or two makes a whole difference in a student’s life. It can get them a coffee, a snack from the vending machine, or food from the dollar menu at McDonald's or Burger King. It is a sweet victory when one stumbles upon lost money.
7. Financial Aid and Scholarships
Most of us wouldn’t be attending the colleges and universities we’re at without financial aid or scholarships. Here’s a shout out to the real MVPs, the ones who are saving us from the maximum amount of student debt one could be in.
8. Coffee
For those all-nighters in the library, our friend until the very end is the cheap campus coffee. Even though it’s not Starbucks quality, it gets the job done and most of us would be lost without it.
9. Planners
To stay on track and complete all assignments, a student relies on storing all that valuable information in their planner. Without it, days would be mixed up and assignments would be late. Thank you for being my “handy dandy notebook,” my sidekick through it all.
10. The Internet
Instead of scanning through library books for hours to find information, all we need to do is ask Google. Thank you, Internet, for saving us many painful hours. We especially appreciate you Citation Machine, Google, and Sparknotes.
Aside from the funny things that college students are thankful for, I know I can speak for all of the students everywhere when I say we are thankful for this amazing opportunity to further our education and make something of ourselves. Thank you to all who supported us. We are greatly thankful for you too.
