It’s officially turkey season! The leaves are finally starting to change, the weather is getting a little colder and the fall semester is starting to come to a close. But more importantly, Thanksgiving is right around the corner. For freshman, this is the first opportunity for a real break from the hustle and bustle of college. For some students, it is also the first time they will be traveling by themselves from college back to their hometowns. Traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday season can be an ordeal, especially flying out of an airport as busy as LAX, so I have compiled a crash-course list of what to do and what not to do when traveling home from LMU for the Thanksgiving holiday.
First, it is crucial to stay up to date on work and class within the last few days before Thanksgiving Break technically starts. While some teachers are lenient with allowing cancelling class the week of Thanksgiving and allowing their students to travel home early, some teachers have meticulously planned out class schedules that have work and class time required to be done up until the last day before break. According to the LMU 2024 Fall Academic Calendar, Thanksgiving Break officially starts on Wednesday, Nov. 27. While Thanksgiving is a break for students, it is still possible for students to have class, exams and crucial assignments to attend to right before the break technically begins. So, make those last-minute Brightspace and email checks now to ensure that your break can be as care-free as possible.
Secondly, it is very important that students living on campus pack light and make sure everything in their dorm is accounted for and arranged in a way for them to be able to leave it unattended to for up to a week. Now is the time to get those last-minute loads of laundry done and to throw out any perishables that could possibly be left in a dorm fridge. Nobody wants to come back from their first break from college to a dorm room that smells like rotten food. It is also crucial to pack light when traveling home by plane if you are checking a bag. Most commercial airlines charge an additional fee for checked baggage that is over 50 pounds in weight. These fees range anywhere from 100 dollars to 250 dollars depending on the airline. So, when you’re packing for your flight home, make sure to pack light, because nobody wants to start their Thanksgiving Break with a charge to their credit card.
Lastly, and most importantly, students must give themselves a large amount of time when getting to the airport and getting through airport security. Thanksgiving is one of the most largely traveled times in the world, which means traffic to LAX and long wait times getting through airport security is almost a guarantee. It is hugely important when getting to the airport that students leave campus multiple hours in advance of their flight to ensure that they will not miss their flight if any sort of traffic and delays occur. If you are taking an Uber to the airport, call it at least two hours before your designated boarding time. On LMU’s campus, the main two Uber pick-up points are at Alumni Mall and the Leavey Circle. Traveling can be a very unpredictable challenge, especially during any holiday season, so it is important students give themselves ample time when going to the airport just in case any unpredictable situations occur.
