Well, today is finally Friday, and I am absolutely thrilled about it, because now I get to go home.
Our long-awaited break has finally come, and, starting tomorrow and ending Sunday after next, we get nine glorious days of free time: time to go home, sleep, eat as much turkey as we possibly can and get some fun in before finals. Then Christmas is upon us, followed by the dreary beginning of spring semester in January. All I can say is “thank God” with utmost sincerity.
We need this. I cannot state that enough — or even overstate it. We need this break. For the past two weeks, we have walked around campus in a soporific state, eyelids heavy and leaden, yawns suppressed every time we opened our mouths to speak and trying our absolute hardest to stay awake in class, let alone get any homework done.
I myself was, like many of you, upset that we did not get Veterans’ Day off. A three-day weekend would have rejuvenated us and kept us awake for the past two weeks, or at least until last Monday.
This is the level in the video game where we don’t fight any bad guys, but run around refilling our energy and health back to 100 percent before moving on to the final boss battle. We have nine days to not think about studying, to avoid thinking of anything besides food and family.
Then we come back to find that our classes have been kicked into high gear and ramped up to insane levels. We have time to relax and have one last hurrah before finals. How will you use it? Will you freak out over cramming, or will you take a chill pill and relax?
I will spend my nine days of free time catching up on episodes of my favorite TV shows, spending every night soaking in the tub, seeing my brother for the first time since he went to school in August, petting my dog as she demands attention from me, having my parents’ home cooking, and of course, eating my fill of turkey, marshmallow yams, mashed potatoes, pumpkin and apple pie both, and leftovers (but no stuffing; I can’t stand that stuff).
Of course, next Thursday, whether we’re at home surrounded by dozens of relatives or one of the poor luckless souls stuck on campus for the holiday, we have to remember we must be thankful for not just our break, but for the food and family that come with it.
This will be the calm before the storm and we should enjoy it and be grateful for it while we can. We can sit back, light some scented candles and curl up in front of the fireplace in our pajamas with our favorite books. We have something that we don’t have enough of in college — free time.
Allison Chase is a junior creative writing major. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
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