As the next fall holiday approaches there is a heightened stress regarding exams, projects and papers. However, academics aren't the only subject creating an uneasy, chaotic mood for students. Another task many have to go through is the traveling arrangements for their short visit home, which is even more complicated when attempting to work around a class. Thus, this is a letter to those professors making it a little more difficult for us students this week.

To the professors deciding to hold class the week of Thanksgiving,

I want to begin by saying you all have my respect and appreciation for your hard work and I have learned and excelled in your classes. However, though I do value the lectures and guidance, I have an issue with the lack of class cancellation during the week of Thanksgiving.

First, I am an out of state student, and because of your decisions to show a movie or add another activity for the short hour and twenty minutes we have together, you prevent me from going home, not for just that particular day, but for the entire break. Three days isn’t enough time for me to travel across the country and travel then back. Had I been provided the Monday and Tuesday, that would have allowed me to make my way back to California. Unfortunately, this is not the case, because of the requirement to attend your class. Due to this, my location for Thanksgiving changes annually and I go from August until December without seeing my mom, dad, sister and beloved dogs.

There is a constant stress of:

1. Finding a place to stay.

2. Coordinating how to get to this year's Thanksgiving location.

3. Trying to find someone who drives through that area on the way back to school.

4. Planning who can take me back to campus and at what time.

This is no easy task and adding the component of requiring people to wait until after my 2:50-4:10 class is inconvenient for those doing me a favor.

Additionally, because a majority of students have left early, a good portion of my peers don’t get the information you have given on that day. I know you are paid to teach, but why teach less than 50% of a class? Punishing students for making early travel arrangements is cruel and unfair. Not allowing them to catch up on what they missed due to their absence the week of Thanksgiving is ridiculous and only limits your teaching. You’ll just have to re-explain to confused students all the points you went over when they weren’t there. Attempting to find affordable flights and transportation to and from the airport is challenging enough, so why make it harder by having students work around one hour worth of a class?

I want to conclude with the understanding that break doesn't technically start until the day before Thanksgiving day. However, this is not enough time to make it home or to help prepare for the next day's events. With these points in mind, please consider for the next year, if that one class that has less than 50% attendance is really worth withholding your other students from enjoying a fun holiday.

Sincerely,

One of your students