Students Head Home For the Holiday

For many UB students heading home this week, Thanksgiving break isn't just about turkey and stuffing.

To some, the first time going home since school started in August is a weird feeling. To others, the trip is no big deal, and the trek home has become routine.

But no matter how you feel about Thanksgiving or going home, most students can agree: a break from school, even a short one, is a welcome holiday gift.

Seth Pond, a junior chemical engineering major, is one of those students who hasn't seen "home sweet home" in quite some time.

"I can't wait to go home," Pond said. "I haven't been home since August. I'm here for eight months out of the year, and I get so anxious for the Thanksgiving break to come. I need a break from all the schoolwork."

Megan Ryan, a junior psychology major, said while she considers UB her second home, she's excited to head home.

"I'm so excited to see my friends and family," she said.

Pond and Ryan, who are both from the Albany region, will experience something else shared by many UB students during breaks: the long drive home. In this year's graduating class alone, only 37 percent of the students are from Western New York.

"It's not easy for me to go home, especially since I don't have a car," Ryan said. "I have to take a bus this year, which makes the trip home take about seven hours."

"The drive isn't usually that bad unless the weather is bad. If there is a snow storm it could take up to eight agonizing hours to get home," Pond said.

Whether it takes her four or seven hours to get home, Ryan says the trip will be worth it.

"I think the Thanksgiving break is the best break because it's a perfect amount of time," she said. "I get to see my family for dinner, go out with my friends, get some rest, and then I'm ready to come back to UB and finish the semester."

For students like Pond, who goes home so infrequently, being solely at UB for such a long time can have an effect on how they view changes at home.

"I really enjoy going home and I think the time I spend with family and friends is more valuable compared to years before college," he said. "I get to see my young nephew who gets bigger every time I see him."

And for students like Ryan, who makes an effort to go home often, it doesn't feel like much has changed.

"I love seeing my family and friends but I feel like it has always been that way," she said. "It is nice to see people I haven't seen in a long time, especially the young ones."

While students across campus are anticipating a chance to get away from school, many realize that a break doesn't necessarily mean no work.

"As soon as I come back from break I have a test," Pond said. "I would like to not worry about school when I'm home, especially since I haven't been home in so long."

"I wish I could miss class on Monday and Tuesday, but it's just impossible with all of the work involved with my major," he added.

But for a few days, both Pond and Ryan will try to forget about their majors.

"Dinner is always at my house. I have lots of family over," Ryan said. "I miss good food. My mom makes the best dinner."

Pond echoed Ryan on the subject of home-cooked food.

"My mom always cooks and she is a great cook," Pond said. "I usually eat (Thanksgiving) dinner at my house. Sometimes my mom will make a ham instead of a turkey. Either way it's delicious."

"I am so happy to get a break from school but being with my family is what's most important," Pond said.