As everyone on the Hill is painfully aware, Thanksgiving Day falls rather late this year at the very end of November. As such, the Thanksgiving recess, overlapping with Hanukkah, cuts short the penultimate full week of classes, leading many students to anticipate typing final papers and studying for tests over their turkey.
Not all of this last-minute scrambling can be blamed on students procrastination: Some professors have only just released essay prompts and test reviews, anticipating that students will utilize their free time to create nuanced theses, polish group projects and cram those last few key terms into their brains before the final stretch the first week of December.
Bleary-eyed, burnt out students are hardly excited about the prospect of spending their long-awaited free time on final assignments, and who can blame them? The lateness of this falls recess demands that students persevere for a full academic week longer than last year, without the promise of a restful break as the silver lining.
Nevertheless, students should prioritize rest, relaxation and family time (if so desired) this week. Attending a university as academically rigorous at Tufts demands the occasional mental break, and vacation time (without the textbook open under the table) is linked to better physical and mental heath, overall happiness, increased productivity during working hours and even better performance overall on assignments once the vacation is over.
So, dont be afraid to turn off your email notifications, leave your iPhone in your bedroom and fully devote yourself to at least a couple of hours of laziness and over-consumption of mashed potatoes and stuffing. If making small talk with relatives and eating until it hurts dont appeal to you, you can even start your Black Friday early, as stores like Target and Macys are beginning their sales on Thanksgiving Day itself this year. Maybe stampeding with fellow bargain-hunters could be your stress-relief activity of choice this year.
But no matter what you do, remember that this week is ultimately about giving thanks and giving yourself a break.
