Halloween is over and the countdown is on for Thanksgiving break. It feels like just yesterday students were preparing for their midterms. Now, we enter the notorious final season.
USC sophomore and biological sciences major, Tess Humphrey, anticipates her fun and eventful upcoming break. But rather than traveling across the country, or relaxing with family on vacation, Humphrey plans to spend her time preparing for her upcoming Organic Chemistry final.
Tess Humphrey: I’m probably going to start on the Wednesday and then study all the Wednesday. And then Thursday. I’ll probably take the day off for Thanksgiving and then Friday back at it again. I’ll just go over the review sheets and then probably go over the textbook and stuff.
Thanksgiving break is a time for people to return to their families. Many students have arranged travel plans to go home and spend the holiday with loved ones.
Humphrey: I think it’s hard to go home and be with your family, but not be able to spend time with them because you’re studying for finals, because that’s even worse for the mental health calendar. Because then you’re there it’s so easy to see them. But you’re studying.
Humphrey isn’t the only student who plans to pick up the books during this holiday break. USC freshman Zain Alam prepares for his first final exams and first Thanksgiving break home as a college student.
Zain Alam: It’s really annoying. Going home and having to study for like a really big bio final as well as like a French final two. So I’m I don’t know. It’s going to be a grind, Thanksgiving grind, I guess.
USC student and business major Nick Neal provides insight to how he manages his course load while prioritizing his mental health during this stressful season.
Nick Neal: I’ve been making sure I’m getting plenty of sleep and a big thing for me has been exercising regularly. It helps me get out a lot of my anxiety. So that’s how I’ve been balancing my mental health and studying.
Thanksgiving break this year is the 22nd to the 26th of November - just over two weeks away!
For Annenberg Media, I’m Sam Cohen.