On the surface, packing to go home for Thanksgiving is simple. It is such a short break—a mere five days. Surely, two t-shirts and a pair of socks will suffice. The general consensus is that tired, apathetic college students grab the small suitcase nearest them and mindlessly toss in an uncalculated mass of clothing. Normally one is concerned whether they have packed everything they need; on this occasion, though, this fear is non-existent. However, the fear that is very present is of how much homework will need to be half-heartedly completed while supposedly “on break.”
The length of Thanksgiving break, or the lack thereof, is problematic on two levels. Firstly, that it isn’t a full week—like what the hell is the point of the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving? The majority of students either physically skip their classes or go to classes only in the physical sense as a result of being so checked out mentally. The second issue is that professors feel just a little bit too comfortable assigning vast amounts of homework over the break. Whether that is because the break is so short that they do not consider it legitimate or they are plain sadistic, I have yet to conclude. It is important to emphasize that because of this, the largest obstacle in the way of going home for Thanksgiving is the struggle not only to remember to bring all 37 books home that you need to read over the break, but also to fit all 37 books in your backpack and carry with you as you voyage.
So remember: when packing for Thanksgiving, the more clothing you neglect to pack, the easier it will be to lug home the 67 books you have to read and write essays about.
Bon Voyage! The journey ahead will be long and filled with sleepless nights, but the glories of winter break are not too far away that one cannot imagine and dream of them.