Even though the weather has been kind of wacky in certain areas, it's finally starting to feel like winter! (Chicago went from a high of 70ºF on Tuesday to a high of 37ºF on Sunday...) And that means that it's time for the holidays! (Read: finishing up finals, going home for a few weeks, listening to Christmas music on the radio, buying gifts for friends.) Aside from waiting for what feels like hours in line when doing last-minute gift shopping, perhaps the most dreaded part of the season is getting through the airport, whether when flying home from school, away for vacation to escape the cold, or to visit other family to celebrate the holidays. Here are a few tricks to survive the airport this holiday season:

1. Leave way earlier than you need to (better safe than sorry).

Have a flight at 8pm, and you're an hour away from the airport by Uber? Leave yourself an extra hour or two to minimize your stress levels! There will guaranteed be traffic on your way to the airport, significant lines at security, and you'll want some time to grab a snack or some coffee and use the restroom before boarding.

2. Bring a book and some headphones.

Unless it's your lucky day, you'll probably be in security lines anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour. A great trick to get through this painful process is reading a book (since you know you haven't had time for leisure reading during the school year) and/or listening to some music, watching videos or checking out a podcast. (Pro tip: Spotify has free audiobooks!)

3. Pace your water drinking.

You don't want to be that person who gets to the front of the security line and forgets to dump out the water left in your water bottle. Make sure to drink it all before your turn comes, but try to pace yourself so that you don't have to pee until after you're through security!

4. Travel as light as possible.

If you're going home for a month or away for a week, you'll probably be able to check a bag and just keep some small, important things with you in your carry-on. It's way easier to maneuver through the hundreds of people with rolling bags who don't know where they're going when all you're carrying is a small bag.

5. Keep your destination in mind for motivation.

Sure, someone just rolled over your foot with their rolling carry-on, and the line for coffee is atrocious. You don't board for another 30 minutes and there's no seating in your waiting area. But guess what? In a few hours, you'll be home (or wherever your destination may be) and it'll all be worth it.

Happy holidays!