I love Thanksgiving with my family. Even though I basically live down the street from my university, I barely get time to go home because I'm so busy with work, studying, or extracurriculars. Thanksgiving is a time for me to unwind with my family and get the motivation to push myself for the next four weeks to end the semester strong.
I've noticed, however, that there are some questions some people will never fail to ask me and my sisters when we come back from break. Here are five things every college student will hear from their relatives during Thanksgiving break:
1. How's school?
The classic. I used to hate when people asked me this, especially l during my freshman year because I was so stressed out all the time and I honestly did not want to talk about school. The "how's school?" question is literally what relatives ask you when they have nothing else to ask you about, so they resort to the obvious.
It's not that they necessarily care about the ten-page research article you had to write for your writing class, or how much you like your group in Business Forum, or even how much studying you did for your Organic Chemistry exam. I'll tell you right now, they only asked so they have something to talk about.
2. Are you seeing anyone?
Yikes. This one also makes me cringe. Everyone always finds their "true love" in college or is in a serious relationship, but sometimes, you just end up being in a serious relationship with your books. You don't have time for boyfriends and girlfriends and relationships because you're so busy with school work all the time, and your relatives make you feel bad for not being in one.
Just because cousin Britney found her husband during her second year of college, doesn't mean I will. Life's all good.
3. What's your major again?
If you have to ask this every time you see me, something's wrong. I understand that people have lives and that things go past people's heads and you're not the center of everyone's life. But sometimes it hurts when people can't remember your major, even though you told them countless times.
It makes you feel like they don't listen to you when you speak (which for a college student, is always hard during the holidays because it's like, am I an adult? am I a child? Who knows???), or even worse, it makes you feel like they don't care.
4. What do you plan on doing after graduation with THAT degree?
Another question that makes me cringe. Everyone has different interests and different things they love. I'm pretty sure when people major in what they want to major in, they're aware of job opportunities they can get. A lot of people think it's easier to get a job if you go into medicine, business, IT, or engineering. But what about those humanities classes? There's so much you can do with a journalism degree. There's so much you can do with a philosophy degree. There's so much you can do with a theatre studies degree.
STOP MAKING PEOPLE FEEL BAD ABOUT THEIR CHOICES OF STUDY. I know they just want you to be well off... but trust me, you will have a job after you graduate. Don't sweat it.
5. You've gained a lot of weight....
I don't know why people point this out when so many people are self-conscious about how they look. Just because it's obvious, it doesn't make it alright to say (ESPECIALLY DURING THANKSGIVING when people are literally FEASTING on a bunch of food). People forget that they're talking to real people with real emotions. Comments like that can haunt people and cause adverse mental effects in the long-run.
My advice? Don't mention weight to anyone, whether you think it's good or bad or that it'll benefit them. Just keep it to yourself.
