The beginning of the end of the year — November! I think every college student can agree to some extent that November is such a weird time for us. We are all excited about finally getting a much needed break, but it is also overwhelming because it is almost finals time. Final projects, final presentations, final exams, final week of classes, and some many more finals. For the most part, after thanksgiving there is a quick turn around to a week of classes and then finals week.
In high school, thanksgiving break was seriously a vacation. You get a week off and are assigned little to no homework. I am here to tell you how to use your thanksgiving break in college. Of course have fun with the few days off, your family, and great food. However, this is also a time where you should start planning out the rest of your semester if you have not already. Before break, I refer to my planner (which is one of my top 5 essentials for college) in which I plan out when I should start studying and have all my assignments turned in by in order to maximize my study time. My suggestion is to use the break to get ahead. Get ahead on assignments and turn them if possible, start your study guides, begin the outline for your projects and presentations, make sure you have done any extra credit offered by your professors. This might be hard because you may not feel pressed for time, or have a due date hanging over your head for most of these things, but I promise you will thank yourself later when you are reading over your chapter 12 notes and your friend is barely on 4, and the exam is in 2 days.
Do not take this as an all work, no play time, but use your time wisely. I apply this strategy to every break even though there is not always finals week right after, but I still do it because it helps me stay in the groove and if I can minimize my workload in the future, why not? I am in my first semester of junior year and I have been doing this since freshman year, and I do not regret any bit of it. With all that said, still find time on break to relax and take advantage of the tryptophan in the turkey and rest, you deserve it!