<p>Hi everyone,
I was wondering if anyone knows if it is typical to still hold class on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving if it’s towards the end of the day. My son’s last class ends at 4:45pm Tuesday (school is closed Wed/Thur/Fri). I’m going to be booking his flight soon and was wondering if the professors usually cancel the classes that are later in the day on Tuesday?</p>
<p>Does anyone recall how that worked last year?</p>
<p>Thanks so much</p>
<p>i don’t think they typically cancel, but it is a students choice whether to go to class or not. most can afford to miss a class here or there.</p>
<p>most likely it will be ok to miss a class, but there could be something important scheduled.</p>
<p>best to wait for the syllabus.</p>
<p>or you could possible have son email the teacher and ask if there is something mandatory on that day and if it would be possible for him to miss that day of class.</p>
<p>I haven’t looked at the calendar yet but my son doesn’t try to come home over Thanksgiving. Its too short a time and too chancy a travel situation. Christmas break is very close… There are MANY that stay on campus or go home with local friends for Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>But what a difference in cost of airfare if you can book early!</p>
<p>Yes, class is usually held. My son has had classes up to the last minute before a scheduled break. It is not always wise to miss a class, attendance is very important.</p>
<p>I posted the exact same thing a few days ago! I ended up booking a Wed. morning flight out since Tuesday is my son’s busiest day, and we don’t really know what to expect. Good luck! It’s his freshman year and 19th birthday, so I wanted to make sure we had his way booked before we left for the long drive to Tuscaloosa Friday. Thanksgiving is too short of a break to do the drive.</p>
<p>Seriously, we all need to send requests that future years will have a full week off at T’giving!!!</p>
<p>^^^^Absolutely, with as large an OOS student poppulation as UA now has, that is the way to go.</p>
<p>^Agreed; fall break is too short to fly home and the shuttle schedule makes it even shorter.</p>
<p>I’m flying home that Wednesday at noon and get an entire 34 minutes to connect in Orlando on what is the busiest travel day of the year. 
Thanksgiving airfare is already much higher than when I booked in June and even then the fares for Sunday travel were already too high. Tuesday classes usually proceed as scheduled and tests are sometimes scheduled for that week.</p>
<p>I’m probably booking a late tuesday night flight home with an early sunday return flight for around $350. Not too shabby in my opinion. I wish they would just give us the full week off though.</p>
<p>I wish they would just give us the full week off though.</p>
<p>Hear hear!!!</p>
<p>DS may stay on-campus for that very reason – it’s just too short a time to justify the hassle of the 16-hour [driving] round trip. We’re hoping the Catholic Student Center will have a Thanksgiving meal for the kids who stay on campus. (Or maybe the kids can serve a meal at the homeless shelter or something…as long as there’s some sort of fellowship available.) </p>
<p>The thought of not having my firstborn home for Thanksgiving is just killing me. Waaahhhhh!!</p>
<p>Please let the below person know of your desires for a full week off for Thanksgiving with the days coming from the elimination of Fall Break. Please do it now while it is fresh in your mind. College calendars are made way in advance, so now is the time to get this message across. Please also post any responses you get from her. We are a powerful force here and can effectuate change for the benefit of the University (e.g. lower utility costs) and students (cheaper travel, OOS students can go home). </p>
<p>Here is the email address for Dr. Judy Bonner, Executive Vice President and Provost:</p>
<p><a href=“mailto:judy.bonner@ua.edu”>judy.bonner@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>I have emailed her and recommend others express their wishes to eliminate Fall Break and move the days to a complete week off for Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>LadyDi, last year Bama Dining offered a Thanksgiving lunch for students on campus and guests. There was a nominal fee, if I recall correctly, but the menu was pretty extensive. Son was not scheduled to fly home for the holidays and we decided last minute to drive down and spend Thanksgiving with him instead. The Iron Bowl also happened to be on campus and I have to say that, as a first-timer, the SEC college football experience was absolutely electric!</p>
<p>Well, I’ll let the actual students chime in but to go to the hassle of traveling (and no way would I risk getting stuck in an airport on Sunday and missing classes, etc…) and then return to have two weeks until winter break when you can return home for a month…</p>
<p>It seems that unless the entire calendar year were to be redefined it would be harder for some OOS students to have to find accommodations or entertainment for a week instead of a few days…</p>
<p>And frankly, the calendar as it is has worked out well in other ways. Son was able to do study abroad and be home in a time period that allowed him to work this summer. A later calendar would make that less possible.</p>
<p>So, while I understand not being home for Thanksgiving is sad , being stuck in an airport or having the entire year redefined might not be better…</p>
<p>We have talked about meeting somewhere in-between for Thanksgiving (we’re from the west coast), or, traveling to Alabama so son won’t miss classes if travel becomes impaired.</p>
<p>I think the kids that stayed on campus last year enjoyed their quiet days and had a turkey dinner courtesy of Lakeside. Not home-cookiong for sure, but that isn’t the point, is it?</p>
<p>Also, be wary of missing class time…</p>
<p>There would be no need to rework the entire calendar and it would in no way result in a later calendar. The suggestion at hand is to eliminate the Fall break (two days) and substitute those two days for the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>I agree with all of the above. The way it is now is just too short a time to fly home easily for OOS students. </p>
<p>Last year lil bro flew home the Friday before Thanksgiving. He just missed his Mon & Tuesday classes. We figured missing one of each of his classes wasn’t a big deal as he didn’t have any tests scheduled. He did have an English paper that needed to be turned in but his Prof let him turn it in early. I then flew back down there with him Thanksgiving night so we could attend the Bama - barn game the next day.</p>
<p>Some of your children will WANT to come home for Thanksgiving…especially if they did not come home for Fall Break. I can speak for my DD and she most definitely wanted to come home (and she doesn’t even like turkey!!). Right after thanksgiving come finals and with finals come nervous tummies for some kids …going home for Thanksgiving gives them that little extra TLC to make it through that first set of finals. Some of your kiddos might not stress over this but all 4 of ours came home that first Thanksgiving (even my over achieving totally self confident IVY girl…)
But note that classes will be held and DD actually had a test that day. I know it’s tempting and helpful to want to buy tixs now but if you can hold off for a little bit and see how the “finding local friends” thing goes…because in some instances any home that exudes the wafting smell of turkey and sibling discussion (in loud voices that sometimes turn into "rough housing’…you get my drift or in our house Yahtzee tournaments that go until the wee hours of the morning) can give that TLC and a litle boost to get your Sor D through finals and home to you.
After having done this 4 times I thin we have about run the gambit of scenarios and situations…trust me …wait until your child gets settled…then buy the tix if you need to and smile because…next year they won’t come home. This year all 4 of ours are not coming home for Turkey Day…oldest DD is filming in NYC, second D is going to the wonderful boyfriends parents home in Virginia, Son is working at Peets coffee by Northwestern…you Chicagoans stop in and tell him “hi” (he’s the big lineman looking guy with lots of facial hair and a gift for gab…don’t know where he got that skill…huh?) and our Bama bay is going to Muscle Shoals with the BF and then to the Iron Bowl. DH and I are still contemplating what to do but have talked about going to NYC…
Enough blather…be patient…don’t miss class… :).</p>
<p>Keep in mind that for most of the country travel is unpredictable at that time…so for many it will mean a longer week at home. Love spending days in the Denver airport…not…</p>
<p>I booked tickets for Weds-Sun. Now I see that SW tickets aren’t too bad so I could have waited. I also booked a 6 am flight - no shuttles, so I will have to make alternate arrangements to get S to the airport. It’s one of the few non-stops though, so that is much better that time of year.</p>
<p>In all due respect, meteorogically speaking, I live in the Northeast and the probability of running into a weather event is far greater over Christmas break and that certainly does not deter people from flying home for that break. In fact, Tuscaloosa had snow for students returning last January if I recall correctly. Certainly, travel can be unpredictable any time of year (try getting stuck after 9/11), but the choice to travel or not is an individual one. With a week break, the choice becomes more realistic for many. I also echo ahipimommy’s comments about getting a nice rest and some home TLC before the stress of finals.</p>
<p>Everything you say is right, MABama, except noting that Thanksgiving usually has more problems as the busiest travel time of the year. </p>
<p>Also, while an individual choice, I know the expense of travel is a concern for many and extending Thanksgiving to a full week requires the expense of keeping the campus open or forcing students to find other accommodations. Students have a choice now. </p>
<p>A longer Thanksgiving break only accommodates those going home. It imposes on those who don’t or can’t.</p>