On a campus with a high number of in-state and domestic students, it’s not uncommon to hear about winter break plans, including visiting family and friends close by. For international students, however, this can look a little different.  

Some students are spending their time off ‌visiting their home countries. Jiacheng Li, junior in LAS, is from China and plans to go back over break.  

Li decided to go back this year because he hasn’t been home since the winter he started college. He’ll be going back with some of his friends. 

“I want to show them my hometown and everything, and I was thinking it’d be fun if we could make it back to celebrate New Year’s,” Li said. 

The Chinese New Year doesn’t begin until February, but Li still plans to do some traditional activities, such as dumpling making and decorating his house, specifically in red, which is the traditional color for the holiday.  

Li is most excited to see his friends and family, as well as to enjoy the weather in China.  

“I’m still in touch with two or three friends from middle school, so every time I go back I try to make some time to see them,” Li said.  

Last winter, Li traveled to Europe with some of his high school friends. He said most of the other international students he knows either go back home, travel or stay in Chicago.  

Leron Wu, freshman in FAA, is also from China and plans to travel back home for a few weeks. He also plans to go to Japan with a friend to snowboard and tour Tokyo. He is then flying back a week early for an event for his frisbee team.  

Wu said the biggest challenge for him as an international student during these longer breaks is having to travel for so long. He also said that he won’t be celebrating Chinese New Year like he usually does every winter because he’ll be back at school.  

“The flight for me back home is about 15 hours, which is just really rough,” Wu said.  

Emma Ye, junior in LAS, is from Beijing. Ye plans to stay on campus for the majority of winter break to hang out with some of her friends. She also plans to visit nearby ski resorts and travel to Colorado around Christmas to hike and enjoy the hot springs. 

After Christmas, Ye is going home to Beijing to spend time with her family for about two and a half weeks. 

“It’ll be a very precious moment because I’ve been busy with college in another country and doing a lot of internships, so I already have this feeling that I will have lost time in the future to spend with my family,” Ye said.  

Ye has never had the chance to celebrate the Chinese New Year back home since studying in the United States, and won’t be celebrating it at home this year either. She usually watches the New Year festival and has a potluck with her friends on campus around that time. 

Ye said the biggest factor in deciding to stay on campus for most of the break was the price of flight tickets. If she flies back immediately after finals, her flight will cost double the price of a flight right after Christmas.  

She has also noticed that international students are much more cautious about traveling abroad due to the increase in travel restrictions, but isn’t personally worried about the risk and is overall excited to get back home.  

One of the greatest difficulties she’s seen international students face over longer breaks is housing. She said that many of the dorms don’t allow students to stay over break, and if they do, students are charged more.  

A lot of the time, students try to find a sublet for a short period, which can be pricey, according to Ye.  

“That’s the kind of struggle I see a lot right now,” Ye said. “People are so anxious about finding a place to stay over winter.” 

For students staying on campus, International Student and Scholar Services is offering events throughout winter break as part of its Break Programs. These include a cookie decorating party and a crafts event.  

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