How to Celebrate Thanksgiving in a Dorm

Among the many new experiences and challenges of college life is being away from family and friends during holidays. Students who can't (or don't want to) travel for the short Thanksgiving break in November can celebrate Thanksgiving in a dorm and make it a fun and memorable holiday.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Find out who else plans to stay on campus for Thanksgiving.

2. Follow any steps required by your college to stay on campus during the break.

3. Check out your dining options for Thanksgiving Day. Some colleges provide an early afternoon turkey-with-all-the-trimmings meal and a boxed dinner for the evening.

4. Discuss whether to cook and eat Thanksgiving dinner at the dorm, go to a nearby restaurant, get takeout or eat at the dining hall.

5. Decorate your room and dorm common areas. If the dorm feels homey and festive, it can ease any holiday homesickness.

6. If you are cooking or having takeout, set a budget and divide the work, including shopping and cleanup.

7. Enjoy the holiday and the break in routine. Explore the quieter campus and town, try something new or revisit favorite hobbies and pastimes. Catch up on sleep, homework or laundry, see a movie or read a book for fun instead of a grade.

Tips & Warnings

• Some fellow students staying on campus may be from other countries. Celebrating Thanksgiving in the dorm is a great opportunity to introduce them to the history, customs and delicious foods of this uniquely American holiday.
• If you plan to cook dinner or eat takeout in the dorm, order food or shop early, since supermarkets and restaurants are busy and some may close on or before Thanksgiving.
• You may need to buy or borrow pots, pans, serving dishes and paper plates. See if the dining hall or snack bar can help, and maybe they even provide these for free.
• Just because it is Thanksgiving does not mean that you have to prepare and serve every traditional Thanksgiving dish, or even that you must have a traditional menu. You can have "breakfast for dinner," prepare turkey curry with rice instead of roast turkey with stuffing, or have pizza.