Wondering what you're going to do for a week without class, work, and meetings? I've got you covered! Make this Thanksgiving Break one of the most memorable yet, because you'll be wishing you were back on break in a week when you are in the midst of finals. So, relax, enjoy the break, and check off some of these things on your to-do list!
**If you don't recognize the cover photo, please view the video below. You will not regret it.**
1. Hang out with your pets.
Whether you're cuddling on the couch with your cat, playing outside with your dog, or chilling with your goldfish, hanging out with your pet is the best part of being home. Has anyone been more excited to see you than your pet? I rest my case.
2. Hang out with your parents.
Your parents are probably pretty cool too, and they probably missed you over the past month or so. Sometimes they'll make you really yummy food, but the key part is that you have to be home for dinner. As much as I want to eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant with my friends every night, I need some home-cooked meals.
3. Hang out with your friends from home.
High school friends still exist! Just because you went to school out of state doesn't mean you forgot about your high school friends. Go to dinner, go back and visit your old high school, but don't do the stupid stuff you did in high school.
4. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping.
If you're anything like me and my friends, we drew for Secret Santa in October, because Thanksgiving Break is the perfect time for Christmas shopping. I mean, have you heard of Black Friday?
5. TREAT YO SELF.
Go to your favorite restaurant, bake all those fall recipes you've seen on Pinterest, get a mani-pedi before finals, and "treat yo self" to a shopping spree at your favorite boutique. You've earned it! Adulting in college is hard, right?
6. Eat lots and lots of food.
That's literally the motto of Thanksgiving, right? Eat anything that comes in your line of sight? That's definitely the rule in my family. Pass the turkey, the potatoes, the cranberry sauce, and then do that like 3 more times, thanks.
7. Catch up on sleep before finals.
If you are waking up before 11 a.m., you are definitely doing this whole break thing wrong.
8. Study for the tests your professors scheduled the week after the break. (WHY?)
Anyone else have two or three tests when you come back from break and wondering why your professors want to ruin your holiday?
9. Set up your DVR to record every Christmas movie on ABC Family.
"Elf," "The Santa Clause," all those weird animated movies you watched when you were little. If you record them now, you can binge watch them during the couple days you're home before Christmas! And then still have them when you're suffering from post-Christmas depression until January.
10. Watch cheesy Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies in the meantime.
Yes, the acting may be sub-par and the plot lines all start to blend together, but they will keep you entertained for about 12 hours a day.
11. Buy more cozy cardigans and sweaters.
Is there anything that could help you more on those long walks back to your dorm from the library at midnight every night until finals are over? Or cuddle you when you're not home with your pets anymore?
12. Buy Christmas decorations for your dorm.
Window stickers, string lights, stockings, a mini Christmas tree, a giant blow up snowman for your suite's living room... don't worry, you can never take it too far.
13. Decorate your Christmas tree!
Decorating your Christmas tree in November? Definitely not too early! I was buying new ornaments in September. It's never too early to start planning.
14. Spend time with your family that came in for the holiday.
They drove or flew lots of miles just to hang out with you! Or to eat your grandma's turkey... It's probably the turkey, but hey, hang out with them anyway! Exaggerate your GPA, leadership positions, and internship prospects! Be the cousin everyone wants to be.
15. Prepare yourself to return to the hell that is finals.
Relax for the last week that you can, because that's all gonna end once finals season starts. Enjoy the warmth of your house and ignore the looming stress. Be thankful to be around friends and family once again, and cherish their company! Make memories this break to keep with you through finals, and before you know it, you'll be reading an Odyssey list article about what to do over winter break.
