The holiday season can be stressful for us all, but with some helpful tips this holiday season can be happy and relaxing for students as well as their families. The stress and family disorder surrounding holidays was the topic for this week’s Wednesday forum in the UC. Dr. Andrew King spoke about negative holiday experiences and how bad things can seem worse when they happen during the holidays. Students have expectations of home and how things should be around Thanksgiving and Christmas. “Students are so stressed here at school, and when you go home you’re expecting Nirvana,” Dr. King said. “The longer you stay here at school, the less in common you have with your family.” One way students can prepare for the holiday season is to communicate what they expect over the holidays to their families. Write an e-mail, note or just call your parents and tell them what your plans are for the season. Also, ask what plans and expectations they have for you. Other tips include: · Be aware of changes in people. Perhaps old high school friends have gone to college and changed in ways we cannot possibly imagine, or family members may have changed too. Be prepared for these changes, and try to be understanding of them. · Assign goals for the holidays. This is extremely important to communicate to your family. Goal number one should be to have fun, relax and enjoy your time off from school · Write down what you want to get done over the holidays. If you have a doctor’s appointment or a big project due after the break, let it be known and try to get it done in addition to spending quality time with the family. · Do some negotiating with your parents. If they are expecting you to do all kinds of family stuff and you are swamped with other things, try to strike a compromise with them. Tell them you will give up some of the things you have to do if they will give up some of the things they want you to do. Meet in the middle with them. · Expect the unexpected. Sometimes the most significant changes occur when we are not home. · Celebrate safely. Remember to be responsible when drinking alcoholic beverages over the holiday season. Wednesday forums are held each Wednesday at noon in 125 UC cafeteria.