The holiday season is approaching, and for most out-of-state students, this means buying plane tickets to see family. However, going back home for Thanksgiving and winter break may not be feasible with expensive airfare.
If that’s the case, or you’re trying to save the hassle of traveling back and forth, here are some things you can do if you’re staying on campus for Thanksgiving.
- Friendsgiving
This feels obvious, but getting a group of friends together to celebrate Thanksgiving is a great way to feel the love of the holiday when you’re away from home. Your group can be as big or as small as you want it to be and can include all of your other friends who are in the same boat as you and aren’t going home for Thanksgiving.
If you make Friendsgiving a potluck-style meal, it keeps the same holiday feeling and allows everyone to participate in the event. You and your friends can also spend time cooking together in a community housing kitchen or apartment building.
- Dining Hall Thanksgiving
Check out what your dining hall has to offer. Often schools put on a small Thanksgiving meal for students staying on campus for the holiday break. Look online for details, or keep an eye out for flyers around campus for information on where you can find details.
This is a great way to be active in your housing community and meet other students and peers who live in your building.
- Visit a Friend’s Family
If you have a good friend who lives in-state, they may be an option for Thanksgiving. If you get invited over for a holiday, it can be an easy and fun way to strengthen your friendship bond and meet some new people in the state, and you can still keep that family feel of the holiday.
- Turkey Trot
Maybe you’re a big Thanksgiving fan but you still want to do something to commemorate the day. Find a turkey trot or other race near you that you can participate in on Thanksgiving Day. You can find plenty of holiday deals for races and use student discounts to find a budget-friendly run to join in.
- Parade!
If you’re in on Thanksgiving and love a parade, you can find a local one online and take yourself on a bit of a date to a Thanksgiving parade. This is an easy and free way to be surrounded by people and community and spend some time in the holiday spirit.
Regardless of how you feel about Thanksgiving or where you’re spending it, there are plenty of options for students to ring in the holiday season.
Author Bio
Joining the team for a second year, Morgan is a sophomore at the Walter Cronkite School in Downtown Phoenix for ASU Barrett Honor College. She’s a native Arizonian, and taking after her dad, she loves writing and art of all mediums. Morgan is excited to gain new experiences through her second summer as an intern at GradGuard and form new relationships with the GradGuard team.
