Photo courtesy of Rosendahl via Wikimedia Commons.
The start of the holiday season is beginning, and for most students, that means flying home.
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By Madison Overmier
TAMPA, Fla. – As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, the campus is starting to feel quieter with the majority of students opting to travel home to their loved ones. As you walk around campus next week, you might notice there are fewer students, suitcases rolling along the brick road, and Ubers parked outside dorm buildings.
For college students, the holiday season is exciting, sad, and everything in between. Students are excited to go home to their family, friends, pets, and have home-cooked meals and sleep in their own beds. However, this small break at home is a reminder that in less than two weeks, the semester will be over, and they will be home for over a month for winter break.
Thanksgiving break feels like a breath of fresh air. It can be nice to get out of Tampa for a short week and spend time at home. Others may feel that traveling home is too chaotic.
However, with only three days off from class, it might not make sense for everyone to travel home for such a short period, especially with the end of the semester looming.
According to WFLA, Tampa International Airport (TPA) is expecting over 900,000 travelers during the Thanksgiving week.
“The busiest day at TPA is projected to be Sunday, Nov. 30, with an estimated 86,278 passengers passing through the airport,” WFLA reported.
Students may choose not to deal with all the stress of traveling when they are already dealing with the end of the semester.
These last two weeks of the semester feel like a nonstop roller coaster that everyone is just waiting for to end. Essays, projects, and final exams are creeping into everyone’s heads and causing so much stress that the addition of travel stress might not seem worth it to all.
Some students may feel this is their best time to stay on campus. With roommates gone, they can get the majority of their final coursework done.
According to Girls United, the college Thanksgiving break experience is different from high school.
“Staying on campus for Thanksgiving break allows them to focus on studying peacefully rather than being distracted at home,” Girls United said.
Whatever students choose to do is what they feel best fits them and their schedule. However, staying on campus can be a lonely experience on Thanksgiving Day.
My roommate and I have spent the last three Thanksgivings here. Although it is sad not to be with our families, we choose to celebrate with our own meal from Publix or Whole Foods, which is just as memorable.
With today’s technology, you can always Zoom or FaceTime your family during dinner to feel like you’re there. Everyone will have the opportunity to choose where and how they spend their Thanksgiving break, making the most of it.
If you aren’t able to go home, winter break is just around the corner, where we get over a month off. Winter break and Christmas are also a bittersweet time. While you get to spend much-needed time with family, it also means saying goodbye to your roommates and friends that you have spent the past fourteen weeks with.
But after the busy holiday season is over, we will all be back on campus for the spring semester and be ready to start the academic period fresh.