Tag: Thanksgiving

Morgan: November is for Food and Family

Friendsgiving- a holiday that you cannot find on official calendars, but a holiday that liters Snapchat filters and lingers in the schedule planners of college students across the country.

Thanksgiving has always been a time for family.  An opportunity to see cousins that you haven’t see since last Thanksgiving.  A time for your grandparents to fill you up with food after swearing that you’ve lost weight since they’ve seen you last.  And a chance for your parents to catch you up with all the latest news and gossip from the family.

In college, however, friends are the ones who take on the role of your family when your blood relatives are not within reach.  For many students, college is the first time that they find themselves truly fending for themselves.  I heavily relied on my family to be my number one support system.  Yet, when I left the comfort of Queens, New York and settled on Commonwealth Avenue in 2016, my new friends were the ones who filled the void that my family holds when I am home.  Friends are the ones who are immediately there for you as you learn to clean the bathroom, they are the shoulders that you lean on when you receive a low score on the exam that you spent weeks preparing for, and the ones on the other end of your text messages when you’re looking for someone to eat dinner with.  

This is why the concept of Thanksgiving has taken on a new level of importance in college settings.  Friendsgiving becomes a time for us to show our friends who have become our family how much we really appreciate them.  Sure, the food may not be up to par with your mom’s homemade turkey and apple pie, but the company is why we really celebrate, the food is just a bonus.

As I write this blog post I am on the bus back to Boston after four fun filled days back home.  Every time I leave home I am sad.  Sad to be away from my family until our next break and sad to return to the work that is sure to follow in the weeks ahead.  However, this four-hour bus ride has given me the opportunity to reflect on all that I gain while at BU.  The people both back home in NY and at school have provided me with a “family” in two cities.  Now I know that sadness is the wrong word to describe how I feel while exiting the New York borders.  Rather, I would say that I feel bittersweet.  While it is always bitter to say bye for now to my loved ones at home, now I know the sweetness of having a second family in Boston to eat turkey with, to support me, and a second family to give thanks to this November.

Richie: Thankful after Sandy

Most of us see Thanksgiving break as a quick break from school. It’s seen as a time to fill-up on turkey, watch some football, bump into old friends, and go Black Friday shopping. It’s a great time to be with family, but unfortunately most of us don’t actually stop and take time to give thanks. I know I’m guilty of it. This past weekend was the first time I went back to Lindenhurst in the past few months and I quickly found I had a lot to actually be grateful for.

Lindenhurst, being a town on the south shore of Long Island was very affected by Hurricane Sandy. For weeks I had seen friends posting pictures on facebook of their homes flooded, property destroyed, home-made signs threatening looters, and even photos of the National Guard who had set-up checkpoints. My home was just a few blocks north from most of the destruction so my family had luckily only suffered a power outage for a little over a week. But I had many close friends who lost a lot of property, had basements and first floors flooded, and some who weren’t even able to live in their homes anymore.

A friend who came back from college for Thanksgiving Break actually ended up staying with me every night. All the storage he kept below his home and in the garage had to be moved into his home and there was physically nowhere he could actually sleep. He’d spend the days with his family at a relative’s house and the nights at my place. He had always been a close friend so it was great having “sleepovers” like we used to when we were younger, but obviously we wished it could’ve been under better circumstances.

I drove around some of the areas that saw the most destruction and was taken back. Most of it had been cleaned up, but debris still lay around in many places, some roofs torn off homes, and a close friend’s house I saw was completely blocked off with caution tape.

It was a very surreal but a very sobering experience. It helped me be thankful for what I had. I enjoyed thanksgiving with my family and we even began decorating for Christmas around the house a bit early. My girlfriend even came out to visit a close family friend who lives a few minutes from me and she got to meet my family for the first time. It was a great break and seeing my family was very much needed. I hope that my friends and any other victims of the storm, on Long Island or anywhere else, will soon find help in rebuilding and recovering. I know I’m waiting to get back for Christmas break and hopefully see things better worked out around my town.

Steph: Thanksgiving Break On My Mind

Hey everyone! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the only thing on my mind is my flight home to beautiful Miami. I can't wait to break out my shorts and tank tops for the holiday season!

For most of you, this will be the first time you go home since you've come to BU. Since you only have a few short days that will fly by, heres a list of things you should make sure to do while you're at home!

1. Catch up on sleep. For me, the second I lay in my own bed is a moment of utter happiness and peace. There is nothing better than a good night's sleep at home. After a 3/4 of a semester staying up late to do work, take advantage of this week to get back on a normal sleep routine. Your body will thank you.

2. Spend good time with friends and family. Because that's what Thanksgiving is all about, am I right? I remember last year, Thanksgiving break was so amazing because it was the first time my best friends and I reunited after each going off on the new adventure called college (cheesy, but so true.) I'm pretty sure my 4 best friends and I stayed up until 4am just talking non-stop about the last 3 months. That kind of goes against my #1 on my list, but for your friends and family, giving up sleep is worth it. 😉

3. Eat like it's your only purpose in life. Now, I happen to think that I do this even when it isn't Thanksgiving, but the holiday is a great excuse to gorge yourself on some of the best home-cooked meals you'll have in a while. Even though the Thanksgiving dinner they served in Warren Towers last week was pretty incredible, nothing compares with eating amazing food in the comfort of your own home.

4. Do some schoolwork. I know, I know. Schoolwork is going to be the last thing you want to think about while you're at home enjoying your free time. But, time after Thanksgiving break seems to move at hyperspeed. You get back, blink, and oh guess what, you have a final in 2 days! I personally have two 10-12 page research papers, an ad campaign, and a project due in early December (gross.) So, as much as I hate it, I'm going to try my best to carve out some time to get a bit of work done. Being a bit productive will make you feel better once you get back to school and see how much work you have due.

By the time this blog is posted, I'll be soaking in the SoFlo sunshine. Wishing all of you a great Thanksgiving!! 🙂

Kaitlin: Stressed and Need Help?

Even though its meant to be a time for giving and loving, I know that for most people, this time of the year can be incredibly stressful.  Between studying and doing final projects and spending money on gifts and even the change of seasons, we all need to find a way to unwind, and that often means simply talking to someone.

The Behavioral Medicine wing of BU’s Student Health Services provides absolutely amazing support to students who may be going through a tough time, whatever it may be.  While they also specialize in helping with body image, alcohol/drug, crisis, sexual health, and sexual/gender identify issues, their expertise in assisting students with academic issues, depression, sleep, and anxiety problems may be especially helpful this time of year.

The information or treatment that Behavioral Medicine offers students who decide to stop in help them understand that they aren’t alone in facing these issues, and help them take control of whatever the problem may be.

I urge you to seek help if you think you need some relief, and promise that you’ll find it helpful.  If you want to make an appointment, you can call 617-353-3569, or check out the website for more information: http://www.bu.edu/shs/behavioral/.

Stay calm, stay peaceful, and be you.

 

Alexa: The Registration Process

Registration is one of the most magical and yet one of the most terrifying things a student will go through every semester. Here’s why:

1.There are so many classes to choose from.

Should I take Psychology of Sport or should I take Philosophy of Sport? What level of history should I take? Should I take Nutrition or Astrology? BU is a big school so there are so many different classes to choose from, which of course is a blessing but also a little bit of a curse.

2. You can’t go to sleep because you are terrified that you will miss your registration time.

This is more important than waking up at 7 AM on Christmas morning, or your birthday. There are many situations where you can over sleep, apologize and it will all be fine. This is not one of those times. To prepare for registration I like to strategically set 7 alarms on my phone in 10-minute intervals. I figure one HAS to trigger my brain to wake up.

3. You wake up in a state of panic during the middle of the night because you think you overslept and missed your registration time.

This happens about three times the night before registration. I quickly wake up at 3 AM thinking that the journalism class I have sought after and stared at through my computer screen is going to have zero seats left and I’m going to have to explain to my parents why I am a failure.

4. It is your registration time, and the page won’t refresh.

I wish I could accurately explain to you the minute before your registration time. For example, I registered at 11 this year and at 10:55 I was fine. I was cool, calm and collected but then at 10:59 my heartbeat started to accelerate. This is the moment before the race starts, the moment before you figure out if you won’t have class on Fridays, or if you’re going to have to start mentally preparing yourself for an 8 AM. I would most like to refer to this moment as the Hunger Games moment. The moment before the twelve tributes are allowed to step off of their circle and into the realm where only one will be victorious. Do you understand the picture I am trying to draw? Yes? Good. But then, the page is taking to slow to refresh and you think to yourself…oh my goodness I am being sabotaged! Then finally, the page refreshes and you go to your planner and try clicking on the classes you want so fast that your hand is shaking. You click, click, click, click and then press submit. Here it is the moment of truth…

5. You get the classes you wanted.

This is the moment of disbelief. The moment where Taylor Swift stands up on stage staring out at her audience in utter disbelief that they all came to hear her perform. You realize you are registered for 16 credits and that class you thought would fill up before you got a chance had 3 seats left, and you were able to grab one of them. This, my friend, is the state of grace, the perfect moment.

The look on your face when you get the class you want

Disclaimer: While sometimes you aren’t able to get the certain section you wanted, or the certain teacher you wanted, rest assured that you won’t have a problem getting a full schedule. One of the great things about BU is that although they are one of the bigger universities, students aren’t left trying to fill their schedule. Go BU!

Happy thanksgiving!