<p>Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I am so thankful I found this board and for all the people who helped guide me thru getting my DD into UA. Just remember you change lives with your advice.</p>
<p>I am sad today though because we made the choice not to have her come home for Thanksgiving bc it was just too much money to justify for such a short trip and Christmas vacation being so close after. Big mistake. She is spending the holiday alone and is sad. Closest invite to dinner came from a stranger on this forum so although she may go get dinner at the dining hall it won’t be the same as spending it with people who care about you.</p>
<p>So my advice to parents of the class of 2017 is not to let your child stay so far away on a holiday if there is anyway you can swing sending them home. Even though DD has adjusted well, and has joined in many activities she still is feeling alone on the holiday.</p>
<p>I feel the same way you do. My son was going to the game so a $400 airfare didn’t seem like a good idea. Now he is sitting alone all weekend. A friend I made on this forum has been awesome, everytime she goes down she offers to take him places, but he always says no thanks. This time she brought him cookies. It was the first time he met them. It is hard being 1200 miles away knowing he is alone. I am thankful though that he is happy there, and healthy and doing well in school. Our kids should at least meet and eat meals together. Who likes to eat alone?</p>
<p>I just read the rest of your message and am very sad that your D is alone today. I hope your D did go to the Tgiving dinner at Burke. We went one year and really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>Oh gosh, I know how hard it is to have a student so far away…I am grateful that mine had a friend’s home to go to for Thanksgiving Dinner. Please parents try to get your students to accept invitations from those who offer, perhaps from a friend’s parent, or from a professor…students might find it awkward to accept these invitations and may feel like they will be the stranger at the table, but the next time around they will find that they a welcomed friend. I feel bad that some of your students spent the day alone…too bad that they did not know each other and get together to host an OOS T-town Thanksgiving Dinner. I know that students don’t want their parents pushing friends at them, but in this case when a student will be alone, maybe it is okay. It is expensive to fly home for a short holiday and that was one of the things we discussed prior to beginning college. For us, it is not feasible to do short duration trips. I do put holiday care packages together…some local food products, a silly gift and a card and send them at various times of the year. Like a plastic pumpkin stuffed with treats for Halloween etc. I always time the packages to arrive right before the holiday. Little things like that and a phone call always make the holiday special.
Wish I could have been down in Tuscaloosa…all your children would have been invited for a huge holiday dinner.</p>
<p>“Just remember you change lives with your advice.”</p>
<p>So true, and we are also so grateful for the folks here on CC. </p>
<p>I also feel bad for kids spending the holiday alone, makes me realize there may be similar kids right here in my community that we should more actively reach out to next year…</p>
<p>Yes, next year or the year after, there should be a CC Thanksgiving Dinner in T-Town for all the sons and daughters of CC parents!<br>
We’re sad too but the Alabama win over Auburn on Saturday will make up for all the longing for family because you are family during the Iron Bowl, Beat Auburn…ROLL TIDE ROLL</p>
<p>^^^That is so true, it might be a good idea to reach out to colleges in our own communities and see if some OOS or international students need a meal. Our community was blasted this year by the hurricane, and the various community organizations and buisnesses hosted Thanksgiving Day Dinners throughout the town. There were many grateful families. I hope it becomes a new tradition.</p>
<p>I’ve learned to enjoy the quiet times on campus for they are great times to slow down and reflect on life. While I was invited to a Thanksgiving dinner, it was held late enough that I needed to be resting before going Black Friday shopping.</p>
<p>I think that there needs to be better coordination of Thanksgiving activities on campus so that those remaining on campus over the break have somewhere to go with a fun activity planned.</p>