Thanksgiving Break is an excellent time for college students. You get to go see your parents and relatives you haven’t seen in some time. You can stay at home for a few days and relive your high school days by sleeping in your old bed (assuming you didn’t bring it up to Fargo or your siblings didn’t take over your room while you were gone). As fun as Thanksgiving is, it can actually help someone come back to school ready to put in the work to do well on their finals.

Some people may be thinking: “I feel less motivated to go study now.” It varies for everyone. A majority of the students actually might dread the transition from relaxation and feasting to studying. You might be used to sleeping in for consecutive days, thus making you not want to wake up for that 8 a.m. class. Or you could look at it the way I do.

When I woke up the Monday after Thanksgiving Break, I felt rejoiced rather than dreading the transition back into my daily routine. The time off gave me a brain break that was much needed. It allowed me to take less time thinking about school and finals and more time to spend with my family, eating food and watching football. I felt motivated to get many things done before Winter Break, which is coming up in just a few short weeks. How long this motivation will last is yet to be determined, but I’m praying it will guide me through my finals so I can finish all my classes with a C or better.

Think of this break as a recharge where your battery needs to last about three more weeks. You’ll be done with your classes you hate so much in a very short amount of time. It would be of your best interest to finish strong. After all, finals do count for a large percentage of your grade; you might as well take smart study maneuvers in order to do well. I didn’t say “study hard” because that implies you should study for hours and hours. Don’t do that. You’ll work yourself into the ground. Take your time and get to know the main points of what you’ll be tested on. Use this break as your motivation, not your procrastination.