For those of us who do not live near the universities we attend, it can be hard to go home for Thanksgiving. Flights are expensive, professors are unsympathetic, and the break is too short to justify the hassle of going home. So many us to stay at school, I included.

Last year was my first year dealing with this predicament, and while I knew it would be sad to not participate in the fun holiday traditions my family and I do every year—such as setting up for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, you know, when it’s appropriate to do so—the break was not as devastating as I originally believed.

Luckily, I grabbed Thanksgiving dinner with a family friend, so I wasn’t alone on the holiday, but the other four or five days off from school were surprisingly not boring. In fact, it was arguably the most productive I have ever been in college.

If you are staying on campus for Thanksgiving this year, do not fret, because you’re going to be able to enjoy Cyber Monday to the fullest while your friends and classmates play the catch up game.

I can almost see it now, you laughing with a delicious coffee in your hand while they beg for a sip, just a drop, of the caffeinated beverage to keep them awake long enough to finish the paper that is due in an hour, the one they didn’t touch over break. If this is the future you see for yourself, too, then take a look at five things you can do this Thanksgiving Break while you’re alone on campus:

1. Obviously, do whatever the heck you want

Walk around your dorm naked, eat in bed, leave your dishes in the sink and your clothes lying around the room. Your roommates are gone for the week, so it’s time to let the tidy, considerate side of your personality take a rest and embrace the mess! You can listen to music or watch Netflix without your headphones on, you can keep the lights on/turn the lights off whenever you want, you can make as much noise as you want. I was about to say that you shouldn’t overdo it, but you know what? Overdo it.

2. But also make time to be thankful

Okay, so all of the above took place on Wednesday, your first day by yourself without school, so that by Thanksgiving you can try to do what the holiday wants you to do. Whatever your beliefs about Thanksgiving are—that it’s stupid, it’s made up, etc.—it is still a day that we are given to, theoretically, take time to count our blessings.

You know, like that gratitude journal you keep trying to write in? Find something fun to do on campus and eat a delicious dinner (even if it is just Chinese takeout from down the street). Oh, and think about the things you were given this year that really made life special.

3. Get that Christmas shopping done

Black Friday is, arguably, awful, but it does provide some pretty great deals on things you would no way be able to afford on any other day of the year. Since your time isn’t taken up by Uncle Earl or Aunt Stephanie back home, you can actually take advantage of Black Friday to finish your Christmas shopping a month earlier than usual.

Reward yourself with some Christmas music (because it’s the first day you can actually listen to it without earning an eye roll from me) and Peppermint Mocha. You done good.

4. Catch up on sleep

While everyone else is stressing about getting to the crowded airport and finding a ride home, you can sleep in and relax during your break.

Call your parents, your siblings, and tell them how much you missed them this Thanksgiving without almost falling asleep from a severe level of fatigue. Once you’ve awoken, renewed and refreshed, you can take in the beauty of a quiet campus that is usually bustling.

5. Do that homework

Finally, don’t forget to do that homework over break. Do you think professors care that your classmates are sitting on hours-long flights and spending their time with family members over the break? Nope! You all still have a ten-page paper due Monday morning at 10 a.m.

Don’t be a fool and think that break actually means break, because you’ll be just as stressed and crazy as the rest of them come Monday. Grind, grind, and grind some more until you’re actually ahead in all your classes, and then pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

While it definitely sucks not being able to see your family, friends, and pets over Thanksgiving break, you can optimize your alone time to make the most out of the short break from school!

Besides, first semester will be over in less than a month, anyway, so what’s the big deal? Follow my tips and you’ll not only be an A student but also be the only person in the class who can keep their eyes open without being heavily medicated! Score!