Serve up some “thank yous” this Friendsgiving.

The turkeys have gone into hiding, you’ve decided to ignore this week’s worth of homework and you’ve woken from dreams of the oven timer going off only to discover that that sweet sound you were hearing was really just your alarm clock reminding you to get to your 9 a.m.

These are a few signs that Thanksgiving is fast approaching and you’re ready to be overwhelmed by smoochy relatives and enormous quantities of comfort food.

But before you hop on that plane, train or automobile and return to your kin, take time to celebrate Friendsgiving with your on-campus companions. Although it’s always a great idea to tell your friends you appreciate them, Thanksgiving is a great reminder for us to express thanks to the people who are most important to us in our life at the University.

When eating exorbitant platefuls of sweet potatoes isn’t an option, who is there to get you through those three consecutive midterms? When there’s no turkey leftovers to speak of, who’s going to order Jimmy John’s with you at 2 a.m.?

In the times we are stressed, bored or excited, our best friends are our comfort food.

For freshmen, this is the first extended break after making new college friends; many international students will be spending break on campus while many others go home. Next week’s break will give us time to relax, but it still means saying goodbye to people who may live all over the country.

Even though it’s just a week break, showing appreciation to our friends before leaving is a perfect way to kick off the holiday.

Before just saying a generic “thank you” to your pals, think about the special qualities you value most in them.

Maybe you love your friend who comes off a little sour but is secretly sweet like cranberry sauce. Maybe you mash best with people who are on the softer side like those potatoes and gravy. Others prefer friends who make us laugh hard and feel light on our feet, like a nice pumpkin ale.

Everyone has their own taste in friends — you picked your peeps for the same reason you choose the food you scoop onto your dinner plate. There is something special you love and admire in each of your closest cronies and your friends should know what it is you appreciate about them most.

So scrape out that last homework assignment or test like you would the mashed potatoes from your plate, and spend the last of your free moments this week celebrating the friends that make Illinois a feast — something to be enjoyed, savored and remembered for a long time to come.