Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate everything that you’re thankful for. It is supposed to be a holiday where you reflect on what people mean to you and what you love about them.

However, as a college student, this is probably probably the one break you have had since summer and you are thankful for the time off. How could you not be? School is getting stressful and classes are difficult. Plus, responsibilities are adding up and you’re probably feeling overwhelmed.

But I implore you not to let your break go to waste. Use the time off to make your own life a little easier, while still getting the much needed rest you deserve. Hopefully these tips will help the physical, mental and social aspects of your life.

Catch up on schoolwork

Be productive and use this week to catch up on the schoolwork you didn’t do the week before break. Getting ahead on projects or studying will pay off when you get back to school, allowing time to relax. Being proactive in your studies will go a long way in making sure you do not feel as overwhelmed during finals time.

In addition to schoolwork, juniors and seniors should start looking and applying for internships and jobs. Internship and job offers are being posted now and deadlines range from November to January. Keep in mind salary, location and feasibility so that you are not wasting your time with unrealistic job offers. Handshake is an excellent resource to use during break.

Work out

Also, consider working out during break.  The freshman 15, sophomore 20 and so on will sneak up on you.  You do not want Thanksgiving to be what seals the deal. If you do a workout video, go to the gym or even do crunches while watching a movie, it is better than being a couch potato. Working out for at least 20 minutes every day of break would be beneficial because you can come back to campus feeling more refreshed than if you gave yourself the week off.  

Have a Friendsgiving

Have a Friendsgiving with your friends from home. This way you can catch up with people you haven’t seen in awhile. Since we are all broke college students, you can split the food between friends or even substitute for cheaper alternatives. For instance, have ice cream, frozen pizzas and chips. If you would rather go big or go home, you can Pinterest how to bake a turkey and hopefully not burn it.

Hang out with friends from school

Set aside at least one day to hang out with all your friends from school. You can go to Chicago or St. Louis if you live near those areas for a day trip. Do something with them that you can’t do on campus so that you can create a new memory together. Seeing people in different settings can help you feel closer to them and allows you to have different memories than just school, Netflix or bars.

Don’t forget to relax

Even as you make the most out of your break, don’t forget to schedule some time to unwind and relax. You will have to take finals after the blissful week off ends, and you cannot effectively give your all to finishing the semester strong if you do not get an adequate amount of sleep.

If you are planning on studying all of break, think again. Let your mind think about something other than school for the week.

Visit with your family

Visit with your family and tell them about your time at school. They love hearing about how hard classes are or funny stories. They want to know about your life at school and hear about your new friends. Connect with them and don’t forget to ask how they are doing.

Don’t let your break go to waste. Remember to find a happy balance — even though binge-watching Netflix for nine days straight seems appealing now, you will regret it when you’re back at school and swamped with schoolwork.

Delayne in a junior in LAS.

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