College Student Can’t Go Home for the Holidays? Try These Other Options

For college students who attend a university more than a few hours away, making persistent homeward bound travel somewhat difficult, heading home for the holidays may not be an option. In fact, with more than 43 percent of college students in the U.S. living far enough away from home where they have to make significant travel plans, heading back to Mom and Dad’s for every single holiday just isn’t attainable.

For some college students who can’t make it home for Thanksgiving or Christmas for one reason or another, they run the risk of spending time cooped up by themselves in their dorm or apartment. But there are different options these coeds have to make sure they’re not spending all of their time alone.

Here are a few tips to look into in order to stay away from holiday doldrums if you can’t make it home to see family.

Host a Potluck or Party

It’s more than likely that there will be at least a few stragglers staying behind over the holidays, and it may even be possible that a few people from your friend group are sticking to campus living instead of heading home. This is a great opportunity to bring everyone together for a Friendsgiving or holiday dinner and share stories and come together over great food.

It’s also a great opportunity to host an event like this for others on campus who are going through the same thing. Community message boards can be used to reach out to others who may be staying behind.

Volunteer

The holidays present plenty of chances for people to come together and help others less fortunate out. Homeless shelters, food banks, and retirement homes always need a helping hand during the colder months and let volunteers do everything from serving food to talking to people or packing supplies. This is another great opportunity to gather others who are staying behind and do something as a group for others.

Holiday Cleaning

Another way students can avoid the stress of being alone and still be productive is to get some spring cleaning done early. The holidays can open up the opportunity to not be disturbed so it’s good to take advantage of this and give the apartment or dorm a good deep cleaning so you don’t have to worry about it once the semester starts up again.

Also, be sure to take care of house cleaning in other ways, like making sure you have the right renters insurance coverage to protect your belongings and apartment. A student renters insurance program can give you peace of mind, especially when you need it the most, helping you to not worry about how you are going to pay for something lost, stolen, broke, or burnt.

Skype or Video Call

With options like Amazon Echo, Facebook Portal, Skype, and Google Hangouts, college students can still be part of a family gathering by being videoed right into their family’s living room. While it may not be the real deal, students can see their families two-dimensionally.

Rest and Recharge

After the Friendsgiving and phoning into family and volunteering, it’s important to take a moment to hit the reset button. This time of year is stressful in general and with the added stress of not being home and having to take care of papers and finals and grades, taking the time to unplug and relax can do wonders. Doing this will help to relieve some stress and there are many different ways this can be done.

Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO are good places to start and knock out some binge-watching goals. Have some audiobooks or podcasts you’ve wanted to listen to? This is the best time to do it. Looking to get out of your place and do something active? If you have the time, go on a hike if weather permits or head to yoga or the CrossFit gym to get out some stress.

About Byrnes Agency

At Byrnes Agency, we offer insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for personal policies or commercial coverage, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.

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