Thanksgiving Break Checklist

Midterms are over, essays are written, and the pre-final nerves are about to kick in. That means that it’s time for Thanksgiving break! This is a great time to relax from your intense study schedule and, if you’re lucky enough to be going home for the break, spend some quality time with your friends and families. Before you catch your flight or ride home or wherever you may be celebrating Turkey Day, make sure you follow these tips to get ready to leave school!

Homework Assignments

This is one of the most important things to check before you leave for break. A lot of professors tend to have various homework assignments due the week after Thanksgiving break. I know this is the last thing you want to think about, but it’s necessary to bring home the materials that you will need to finish these assignments. Even worse, some professors will make an assignment due the week OF Thanksgiving break. A lot of people tend to forget about this because you’re not at school and don’t have schoolwork on your minds. Write this down in your planner or set a reminder on your phone. You don’t want to forget about it!

Missing Class

If you’re leaving school the day before or a few days before school officially lets out, make sure to let your teachers know! Letting them know in advance will allow you to ask about what content you’ll miss, and will show your dedication to the course material. I would go to them after class or at office hours to tell them personally. Since most professors have a lot of classes with a lot of students, sending an email is the perfect way to remind them of when you will be missing class.

Delays

A lot of students have to catch a flight to get home. If you’re one of these students, this tip is for you! Make sure to have plenty of things to do during delays. A lot of flights around this time have trouble flying due to various weather issues. If you have a delay or a layover, a great thing to do to fill this time is school work! Your brain hasn’t fully turned off school mode during this time and some information from class might still be fresh in your mind. Another thing that you can do during this time is to take advantage of the free time and read a book or catch up on your favorite show. This is a great time to finish one of those books that has a movie coming out over Thanksgiving break. Most importantly, remember to tell your parents that you have a delay so they don’t worry about where you are because I know they will.

Cleaning

Before you lock up your dorm, apartment, or house, make sure you do some last minute cleaning. Remembering to take out the trash and cleaning out the refrigerator of things that will go bad during break is very important! The worst thing in the world is getting back from a break and having your house smell bad. Gross! Other easy tasks to do is vacuum your floors, clean your bathroom, and make your bed. It’s always great getting back and having a clean room to sleep in!

School Policies

Different schools have different policies for leaving for breaks. These are usually to unplug everything from the outlets, turn the AC or heat to a certain temperature, throw out your trash, and open your blinds. These are just a few so make sure to check your school’s list! This is important to check especially if you’re planning on coming back to school early.

Make sure to check off these tasks before you leave for Thanksgiving break!