College Student Guide to Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break, for many college students, is a big gift in the middle of fall semester. Lots of students go home for Thanksgiving, but some stay on campus. 【小题1】 Whatever your situation, though, there are things you can do to make sure you squeeze every last drop out of the long weekend.

Thanksgiving is nearly always about friends and family. However, every college student has a unique situation. Not all the students choose to return home for Thanksgiving.【小题2】 If you find being back home stressful, try planning to see friends or a trip to your favorite coffee shop.

For many students, it’s the first chance they have to visit friends from high school. If you had a large circle of friends» getting to see everyone you wanted to see might be hard.【小题3】 So it is wise to try to plan group activities where you can spend time with as many of your old friends as possible.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, so knowing what to expect can prevent a fun trip home from turning into a travel nightmare.【小题4】 The other half is planning your route home. If you plan to fly back home, book tickets at least six weeks in advance.

For most students, Thanksgiving falls either right before or right after midterms. So while you’re relaxing over the break, it doesn’t mean you can let your academics slide.【小题5】 Even if your professors didn’t assign you anything over the break f you probably have a larger project to work on. Remember the end of the semester is really only a few weeks away.

BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS

Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.

Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals(个人) long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth（财富） over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.

In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialized（过度商业化）society—changing from a meaningful time for family to a day devoted to products and shopping.

Black Friday has shown that with current common standards(标准), people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.