Thanksgiving Break is next week, most ISU students will be heading home this weekend. For these students, the week will involve catching up with relatives, eating home-cooked food and enjoying a week away from school.

But what about those who are stuck here?

Ames is not the most exciting town in the world even when it is overrun by alcohol and adrenaline-crazed students. It’s an unfortunate fact.

So what is one to do, stranded in Ames without the benefit of the student population for entertainment? Surely there is some fun to be wrenched from the skeleton of the city.

With a little thought and imagination, there’s no reason not to enjoy your week off. We have a few ideas:

Take advantage of the

students being gone

Because Ames’ population is mostly ISU students, their absence will cause a large decline in patronage at most local businesses. The bars, rather than being the typical anarchic combat zone, will be calmer, friendlier places. Take advantage of this. Try out some new bars. Meet new people. Ask the bartenders what they’re up to during the break. Even if you’re not a big drinker, simply getting out and relaxing at a new spot is enjoyable.

Ames’ less student-oriented businesses are generally open throughout the week and will surely appreciate your patronage during a typically slow week. If you’ve been waiting to try out a downtown restaurant, now is a great time to do it.

Get out

If you appreciate a more energetic nightlife, get out of Ames for an evening. Des Moines has many more bars and restaurants than Ames, as well as more exotic entertainment. If you don’t have a car, find someone who does (possibly by hitting the Ames bars first), put together a group and go tear up a fresh city.

For the truly ambitious who have the means, a full-blown road trip is always an adventure and a hallowed tradition of college life. Most students’ Thanksgiving road trips take them home – you could go wherever you wanted.

Keep it simple

There’s nothing wrong with using the time off just to decompress. With no classes, there is no need to remain a slave to your routine. Reward yourself (justifiably or otherwise) for your dedication throughout the semester by taking it easy. Hang out with other people stuck here. Get to know floormates you haven’t met yet. Catch up on much-needed sleep. Rent a pile of movies. Just rest up for the end of the semester. Try something new

The break is an excellent time to indulge in something you’ve been putting off.

Read the book, watch the movie, play the video game or listen to the CD that’s been sitting on your shelf since the start of the semester.

Take the opportunity to break out of your routine – you might just develop a new interest.

Clean up

While it’s certainly not the most exciting thing to do, the break offers an opportunity to clean and reorganize your living space.

Like most students, you’ve probably neglected this aspect of your life because you’ve been busy (or just lazy). If you take care of it now, you won’t have to worry about cleaning over winter break, and you can show off your shiny new lifestyle to your friends and roommates when they get back.

Study

The idea of studying runs counter to everything a break is supposed to be. However, the vagaries of the Gregorian calendar and the placement of Thanksgiving in November have conspired against us.

The week after Thanksgiving is the final normal school week, followed by Dead Week and then finals.

Cracking a book or two might not be a bad idea. For those with projects due, you may as well spend break time working on those if you’ll just be bored.

Whatever you end up doing over the break, just try to relax and have some fun. School will be back for one last hurrah all too quickly.