Thanksgiving/Holiday Break scheduling/travel question for current students/parents

<p>I see that for Thanksgiving break there are no classes starting that Wednesday the 24th. I would like to try to book flights for my daughter to come home as inexpensively as possible so I need to do that soon.(With the chance I may need to change them---Southwest will let you change with no penalty but the prices would most likely be way higher later due to it being a holiday time and seats filling up quickly)</p>

<p>What I am wondering is if students usually stay right through classes on the Tuesday the 23rd of November or can you come home a bit early, say after classes on Monday,etc? I'm sure it depends on the professors you get but I just am wondering if there seems to have been a "trend" in the past for profs to let classes out a day early or do students ever just skip that Monday and Tuesday completely or would that be super frowned upon? </p>

<p>Also for the December break it says exams go through the 22nd so would it be best just to book a flight for that evening or do exams rarely take place at the very end of the exam period? (Once again I realize it totally depends on which classes/profs you get, it just would be helpful to know how it has been in the past)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>You are right that it depends. Actually, regarding Thanksgiving, this will be the first year that GW is even cancelling classes the Wed. before Thanksgiving, ostensibly because profs either cancelled class anyway or students left early. Given that change in schedule, it’s unlikely that profs will cancel classes any earlier in the week. This is college, though, and it’s really up to the student to decide whether or not to attend class. S came home on Tues his freshman year (after classes) because his only Wed. class was at 3:30 & it was cancelled. He came home Wed. his soph year after his morning classes. This year he’ll be coming home Wed. morning since his classes go late afternoon on Tues.</p>

<p>Regarding finals, to be safe I always book travel for him the last day of finals & then change it if the finals schedule allows for an earlier departure. Until the finals schedule comes out it’s hard to know how late your child might have to stay & getting reservations for Dec 22 will be harder the later you wait.</p>

<p>This is only based on my son’s experience, so it would be helpful if other people wieghed in.</p>

<p>don’t worry, very few people show up on Wednesdays prior to txgiving, some leave even on tuesday!</p>

<p>Like shellfell, my D has experienced late afternoon Wednesday classes cancelled before Thanksgiving, but not the morning ones. And finals can run all the way up to the last day. I noticed this year they added that extra day off, but D will be studying abroad, so we won’t get the benefit!</p>

<p>Hello,
I am in the same boat with my daughter. I just bought her a ticket home for Tuesday night. I figured even if she has a later class that day, hopefully it will be cancelled or she can skip. I just didn’t want her to be stuck there on Wednesday all day as there are no classes.</p>

<p>I too plan on booking a ticket for my daughter for Tuesday night. But she will always take an Amtrak home to NJ. No penalty for canceling but the new ticket may cost more, especially the later we book it. Amtrak tends to sell out (even with added trains) around Thanksgiving.</p>