WikiCommons | Ben Franske
For most students, college is a judgement-free zone for your poor decisions, lack of ambition, and future plans, which remain a mystery.
Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is the time for all of these to resurface with a vengeance. We could all do without the inevitable incessant interrogation from judgmental relatives across the dinner table. Since Thanksgiving break is right around the corner, here’s some tips to get you through the holiday without going insane.
Dodging the tough questions:
- “How are your grades?”
- “What are you going to do after graduation?”
- “Is that a hickey on your neck?”
All of these and more are a part of the endless rotation of questions that are guaranteed to be fired at you by relatives before you even get a chance to say hello. For most college students, the truthful answers to these questions are often unknown, making them difficult to answer honestly. Still, any answer other than what they want to hear is going to result in a look that screams disappointment. Dodging these questions can be tough, but instead of freaking out, your best course of action would be to keep your answers short, vague, and simple, but be honest. You, probably, have nothing to be ashamed of, and as annoying as it can be, your relatives just want to make sure that you’re on the right track.
Drink to take the edge off:
If you’re not too hungover from the previous night, drinking is a great way to ward off the other annoying things that you’ll have to put up with over Thanksgiving. In fact, it’s fun to make a solo drinking game out of their habits. Every time your aunt asks you why you’re still single, take a shot. When your grandma scolds your grandpa for starting to eat before everyone else, sip. When the inevitable family arguments strike, waterfall until it finally comes to an end. Lastly, if your relatives comment about how much you’ve been drinking, finish your drink. You may make a bad impression, but at least you won’t remember it.
Don’t be afraid to eat:
Since it is so well known that many students gain weight in college, your relatives will be watching your plate with hawk eyes. They more than likely greeted you with a snide comment about how tight your jeans looked (kudos to you for wearing jeans on Thanksgiving in the first place), or how nice it was that your second chin decided to show up to dinner. But ignore their passive aggressive remarks. Thanksgiving is meant for gluttony, and don’t be afraid to embrace it. So, pile up the mashed potatoes, fill your funnel with gravy, and unbutton your pants, because the worst thing that you can be accused of on Turkey Day is not having holiday spirit.
Thanksgiving is a time to visit with family and be grateful for what you have in your life. However, critical utterances and negativity coming from relatives are something that I am not thankful for. By following these easy steps you’ll be able to make it through the holiday painlessly, and as a preparation for Christmas.
