Many students look forward to Thanksgiving Break as their last source of relief before the trials of finals week. They see it as a chance to go home, see family, and relax for a few days while eating solid home cooked meals. It is only after they return to their respective campuses that students learn the hard truth: the final stretch is the most difficult. That short break gives a false sense of vacation that makes motivation to finish out the semester a constant struggle.

1. Back to dining hall. After the food coma caused by the beautiful array of food that was spread before you just days ago, the dining hall is not even on your radar. The mass assortment of semi-edible food will leave you longing for grandma’s stuffing or your aunt’s mouth watering mac-and-cheese. Mediocre pizza will never compare after the feast you’ve been indulging in for the past few days. Of course, you do have about $20 to your name so maybe you can make a decent meal come from that.
2. You lose motivation. Let’s face it, when you taste the freedom that comes with the end of the semester, it makes going back to classes a little more difficult. It turns into a cycle of Netflix and procrastination, with a little bit of stress thrown in there.
3. Everything is due at the same time. Ev-ery-thing. All of sudden you have 2 speeches, 4 papers, 3 group projects, and 11 journals due within a 48 hour period. That, mixed with the lack of motivation, makes for a few all-nighters.
4. You miss your family. Yes, you just saw them and yes, some of them were just driving you nuts. But they're still your family and you love them. The little time you spent with them makes you anxious for the semester to be over so you can enjoy some TLC at home with them, at least for the first few days.
5. Finals week is almost here. The dreaded week where coffee addictions are formed, tears are shed, and bags under eyes are the norm. The end of Thanksgiving break is the telltale sign that you’re almost out of time to save your GPA. It also means packing, cleaning, and defrosting the freezer while you’re cramming for that class you got too lazy to take notes for.

Don’t worry too much. Despite this somewhat negative look at an otherwise delightful holiday, there’s always one good thing about going back to school from Thanksgiving Break: There’s only a few weeks until the end of the semester.