Advising Tips

Thanksgiving Scenario 1
The smell of roasting turkey wafting through the house, a fire glowing in the fireplace, the voices of family engaging in cheerful banter, in the background, the Lions winning (It's a fantasy, OK?) on the TV…. Ah, Thanksgiving!

You're in your own room at your own desk, not just finishing up next week's work but even studying for finals. Soon you'll close the books and head downstairs for a terrific dinner and great conversation with relatives eager to learn about all that you've done at Michigan this semester. Tomorrow and Saturday, you'll hang with your high school pals and laugh about the great times you're all having at college. You'll sleep late Sunday and then nap some more on the plane (or in the car) on your way back to school.

Or

Thanksgiving Scenario 2
Waiting at the airport for your late plane, wondering whether your luggage will make it home, fighting with your younger sibling who has claimed your room as his/her own, getting interrogated over dry turkey by your uncle, the insurance agent, about what you think you're going to do with an English degree…. #$%*& Thanksgiving!

You try to study but your sibling won't let you use your (his/her) desk, and the tryptophan in the turkey, not to mention listening to your grandma drone on about her various aches and pains, makes you so sleepy that you don't wake up till noon on Friday. You meet for lunch with your friend who's going to Duke, and he/she is having a “crisis” with his/her girlfriend/boyfriend. You spend the better part of Friday and Saturday listening to her/him whine, then get up at 5:30 Sunday for your 9:00 A.M. flight, which doesn't leave the gate until noon. Your luggage? It's in Omaha.

Chances are your Thanksgiving will not match the either of these extremes, but be realistic about the holiday weekend. Try to carve (pun intended) some time on Turkey Day and/or the rest of the weekend for studying, but it's not reasonable to expect that the Thanksgiving will give you time to catch up on all the work you put off this term. Instead, make a list of what you absolutely have to get done before you get back and focus on doing that first. Organize the time you know that you'll have for studying. For example, if you are flying home, think about the kind of work—reading, reviewing notes, studying flashcards—you can do on the plane and at the airport.

It'll be great to see your family, and your parents and siblings will be delighted to have you back. But even in the few months since last summer, your and their habits have changed. You have to give yourself a little time to adjust to being home, and your family has to adjust to having you home. Be patient with yourself and with them.

Your relatives will want to know what you're doing in school and want to know about your concentration. If you don't have a concentration, it might be best just to say that. You can tell them that you don't want to rush into a bad decision and that a concentration is only about thirty credits, a couple of semesters.

Count on the inevitable “What are you going to with that major?” question from a caring but rude relative. Don't be defensive. Sometimes a little humor will take care of it: “When I finish my philosophy degree, I'm going to open the best philosophy shop in the state of Connecticut.” Or just use the facts: recruiters from a wide array of businesses are looking for smart liberal arts graduates, and you have chosen or will choose a concentration that will let you show just how smart you are.

Finally, make sure you rest and relax. Traveling and holidays inevitably lead to stress. Make sure that you give yourself sometime just to take it easy.

Have a good (if not a great) Thanksgiving!