Our mission with every weekly blog post is to give you (or your child) ways to improve – ways to become a more organized student, a stronger college applicant, or a move ambitious young professional. Today, we’re giving you ten things high school or college students must do in order to be a sane, happy, and well-rested human being. Stumped about how to spend your Thanksgiving break this year? Look no further.
Sleep.
Don’t set your alarm clocks. Enough said.
Set some new goals, or assess the ones you’ve already made!
After Thanksgiving break, you’re in the academic home stretch. Before you head back to class, think about how you want to finish the semester. Decide now to raise your grades, ace your final exams, and so on! What worked for you this semester? What can you improve? Take a second to recommit yourself to the goals you’ve set this semester.
Binge on a good TV show or podcast.
If you’re anything like me, you spent all semester hearing about new shows, movies, and podcasts you want to check out (Hello, This Is Us and S-Town!). Thanksgiving break is your chance to binge away on these, guilt-free. Plus, you’ll be able to hit the books with renewed focus after turning your brain off for a bit!
College students: Set aside some time to check out your budget/finances.
This isn’t as fun as the first one, but it’s important. When you’re cramming for an exam and juggling a full course load, you might not get a chunk of free time to take inventory of your finances. Over break, take a little bit of time to look over your spending for the first part of the school year and evaluate your choices. You might want to change some things, and you might not. The important thing is that you’re making informed financial decisions!
Do the chores you don’t have time for during normal school days.
And these don’t have to be the horrible chores your parents make you do. Instead, use your precious free time to do some things that will make your life better once school resumes. Think about doing something like reorganizing your closet, cleaning out your car, or throwing out some clutter that accumulates during the school weeks. You’ll be so glad you did once school starts back up!
Reconnect with friends.
This is especially valuable for college students. When I came home from college for Thanksgiving break, I loved using my free time to catch up with friends at different schools. Believe me when I say, life only gets busier as the years go on. If all of your friends are in the same city for a few glorious days, take advantage!
Brush up on your family history.
This is a weird one, but hear me out. For many families, Thanksgiving is the time when relatives from all over gather under one roof. You may think you know everything there is to know about your family tree, but I promise you that you do not! Take this cool opportunity to learn more about your own unique history, and ask questions that you’ve never asked your relatives before. Pro-tip: ask your adult relatives their funniest college memory. You may see them in a whole new light!
Start your Christmas shopping (for yourself and others!)
I used to leave all my Christmas shopping until the very last minute, which only added to my stress during finals week. Get yours done early, and you’ll be so glad you did! If money is tight, don’t stress… you have plenty of time to DIY some thoughtful gifts!
Swap out wardrobes.
If you’re a college student living in a dorm, use Thanksgiving break to unload all of your warm weather clothes and clear up some space in your dorm room. Leave the shorts and t-shirts at home, and make room for sweaters, scarves, and jackets. I used to cram a year’s worth of clothing into my dorm room closet… bad idea. Ditch the stuff you won’t need for awhile!
Give THANKS!
Shake off any stress you have from school, college apps, and so on. Enjoy your time with family and eat as much home-cooked food as you can. Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!
