Thanksgiving break as a college student is one of the best times of the year. It’s the first reunion with your home friends, the first sleep in your bed, and the first decent home-cooked meal you’ve eaten in months. However, the novelty of being back at home quickly wears off on the day of Thanksgiving. In a family where all my cousins are either much older or much younger, being the only college student at the table feels like a true test of my acting skills. The invasive questions, subtle judgments, and constant smiling and nodding can be exhausting, to say the least. Being the sole representative of higher education at Thanksgiving dinner is definitely not for the weak.
The Interrogation
You sit down at the dinner table, and right away, all eyes are on you. Can we even consider this Thanksgiving dinner? It’s 3 pm, you haven’t eaten yet today, and you’re still fighting for your life from that first night back with your friends. Somehow, it still seems way too early to be having turkey and stuffing. Before you can even take a sip of your drink, the flow of questions begins. “So how’s school going?” There it is. You’re trying to force a smile and hold it together while thinking about last night’s questionable choices. “School’s been good,” you try to say enthusiastically enough to not blow your cover, but not too enthusiastically that they ask more questions. Just keep smiling.
The Generational Gap
The generational gap goes hand-in-hand with the inevitable political discussion. With the recent election, I expect that my older family members will be even more insufferable at the dinner table this year. With all the issues in the world, somehow the hot topic at Thanksgiving dinner always seems to be social media. “I bet you couldn’t go one day without your phone,” someone says. Meanwhile, your Facebook-obsessed aunt can’t go one day without reposting those weird AI-generated images of animals. The conversation very quickly shifts into “the rising price of gas” and how it’s leading to the “downfall of civilization”. You’re trying to deflect by talking about how good the food is and how great it is to be home. But the moment someone mentions, “What is your generation going to do about all the world’s problems?” it seems like a lost cause. Just make it to dessert.
The Post-Meal Lecture
It’s the end of the night, the table has been cleared, and you’ve just finished dessert, but everyone is still seated around the table finishing up those conversations before the longest goodbye in history. This part of the night feels like a continuation of the interrogation, but with more unsolicited advice. “Have you started looking at jobs or internships? Those look really good on a resume.” “Where do you want to go to grad school? You’ll need it in this economy.” And of course, “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.” All of this advice seemingly comes from the family members who did not go to college, which makes it all the more valuable (so they believe). You just smile and nod waiting for everyone to finish their decaf coffee so you can finally escape to your room. It’s almost over.
Being the only college student at Thanksgiving dinner requires a level of patience that cannot be taught. The questions are invasive, the generational divide is obvious, and the food is endless (seriously, I’ll be eating the leftovers for a week). Despite the awkwardness of it all, there’s something so special about coming home for Thanksgiving and seeing all of the relatives you probably haven’t seen in forever. Being the center of attention during these holidays is definitely weird, but there’s something so charming about it. Deep down, you know they only want the best for you and to see you succeed – even if it means asking the same questions four years in a row.