It’s that time of year when campus shuts down for a week and everyone heads home to celebrate Thanksgiving. Here are some helpful hints for surviving the journey home for the holidays

Just don’t go in the first place

You know all those tests you need to study for and last minute projects that need to get done? Yeah, those are not going to go away while you sit and chat with your family and eat turkey. While you might not be a heartless grade-earning machine, sticking around to get some work done could be a wise choice this year.

Pray for good weather

Lets be honest, if your flight gets cancelled or delayed, you are going to be stuck in some pretty deep trouble. Airports are nice and all, but no one wants to be stuck there, especially during this high-travel and busy time of year. So if you’re religious, pray for good weather and no cancelled flights. If you aren’t religious, well then I guess just check the weather channel and hope for the best.

Have your talking points ready

Thanksgiving has gained infamy as that one awkward holiday where some topic doomed to set the family into feuding will come up. Whether it’s politics, grades, lifestyle choices, apple vs. cherry pie or something else, whatever sets off tension in your family is likely to come up. Mentally prepare yourself now to handle these situations or start working on your political-style question avoidance right now.

Prepare your Christmas list

If the Starbucks cups, holiday music and decorations that are already in stores haven’t tipped you off, Thanksgiving is really just a placeholder in between Halloween and Christmas. So get ready for Black Friday deals and be prepared for when your parents ask you what you want. And be ready to get those gifts for all those important people in your life. Christmas is nearly upon us!