By Duda Maciel

Many University of Maryland students traveling home for Thanksgiving face challenges balancing classes, long travel times and extracurricular commitments as the university’s five-day recess approaches.

Thanksgiving recess runs from Wednesday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 29, leaving students with classes Monday and Tuesday before the holiday. Some students say the schedule makes traveling home difficult, while others face additional commitments that limit their time off.

Ayla Glick, a freshman government and politics and economics major from Columbus, Indiana, said traveling home often requires her to miss afternoon classes because of the time it takes to reach the airport.

“I usually end up having to skip a class that’s later in the day, like after 1 p.m., because metroing and getting to the airport is so difficult,” Glick said.

Glick usually flies out of BWI Marshall Airport and plans to meet her family in California this Thanksgiving. She said most of her professors have moved Monday and Tuesday classes online, making it easier to travel.

During October’s fall break, Glick said she spent no more than 45 hours with her family after spending eight hours traveling in each direction.

“I feel like it would be better if they were combined into one around Thanksgiving,” Glick said, referring to the two breaks.

For some students, extracurricular commitments create additional challenges.

Antonina Kest, a sophomore neuroscience major from Winter Park, Florida, said marching band rehearsals and a home football game will prevent them from traveling home for Thanksgiving this year.

The band has rehearsals Monday and Friday night, followed by a game Saturday. Kest said members normally receive one permitted rehearsal absence per semester, but directors have restricted its use for the Monday rehearsal.

“With rehearsal, there’s not really time to fly home and back over the break,” Kest said.

Instead, Kest’s immediate family plans to travel to Maryland to spend Thanksgiving with them, although they will not be able to see their extended family.

Kest said the regular Thanksgiving schedule has given them enough time to travel in previous years. Last year, they flew to Florida, visited family and had time to study.

“I like fall break,” Kest said. “It’s nice to have a short reprieve in between the start of the semester and Thanksgiving break.”

According to an email from a university representative, UMD develops its academic calendars in seven-year increments under University System of Maryland policy, with approval from the system’s chancellor. Thanksgiving recess is regularly scheduled from Wednesday through Sunday.

In 2023, UMD made an exception by moving Monday classes online and canceling Tuesday classes. The university said the president and provost approved the change in response to a difficult semester for the campus community.

UMD announced the addition of a separate fall break in 2024, which took effect in 2025, to give students and other community members additional time to focus on their well-being.

The university said it will provide designated break housing for students staying on campus, along with 24-hour service desks at La Plata and Prince Frederick halls and residential staff available throughout the holiday. South Campus Commons and Courtyards apartments will remain open.

Dining halls will close at 3 p.m. Wednesday and reopen at 4 p.m. Sunday, while Stamp Student Union will operate on a limited schedule during the holiday weekend.

Joshua Davidsburg, a senior principal lecturer at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism since 2013, said Thanksgiving week has consistently been difficult to plan around because it falls close to the end of the semester.

Davidsburg said he tries to accommodate students by holding remote classes or offering optional workdays. This semester, he plans to hold an optional Monday workday for one of his classes, allowing students who need to travel to leave early while remaining responsible for their assignments.

While Davidsburg acknowledged that the university may have reasons for keeping the breaks separate, he said combining them would make planning easier for him.

Glick also supported combining the breaks and said the university should consider extending Thanksgiving recess to include the following Monday and Tuesday, giving students more time with their families.

Although Kest cannot travel home for Thanksgiving this year, they said they appreciate that their immediate family can visit them in Maryland.

“I’m grateful that my family can come up to visit me for a little bit,” Kest said.

Featured Image: Students walk outside Tydings Hall surrounded by falling leaves at the University of Maryland on Nov. 5. Photo by Josh Hananel.