Once Weinberg senior Anastasia Tchernikov realized she didn’t have any classes or responsibilities after the Monday of Thanksgiving week, she said she decided to save money on additional flights to and from Evanston by staying at home through finals week.
Tchernikov, who left campus on Nov. 24, will spend a little under six weeks at home in North Carolina before returning in early January for Winter Quarter.
Tchernikov’s time away from campus was extended even further thanks to a longer Thanksgiving Break this year.
The break typically starts on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day, but this year it began on the Monday before the holiday due to a calendar anomaly, according to the Office of the Registrar website. The regular Thanksgiving schedule will resume in the 2026-2027 school year.
Fall Quarter exams begin on Dec. 8 and will continue through Dec. 12. Winter Break starts on Dec. 13 and ends on Jan. 5, the first day of Winter Quarter classes.
Tchernikov said she did have one in-person final, which she completed before she left campus. But other than that, she’ll finish the rest of her assignments, including video presentations and a final paper, from home.
Tchernikov plans to take the MCAT in January, so she said she’ll spend some of her break studying for the exam, which is used to assess medical school applicants.
“I think it might feel a little weird, but I think the nature of what I’m doing — studying throughout the entire break — will probably set me up to be like, ‘Oh, I’m just gonna do more studying once I come back,’” Tchernikov said.
Communication sophomore Nila Muthusamy left campus on Nov. 22. She said she’s excited to use her long break to spend time with family and friends.
She said her grandparents are traveling from India to visit her and her family in Michigan over the break. They plan to visit a temple in Pittsburgh, which is an annual trip for them.
Muthusamy said she’s the “most passionate” person about Christmas in her family and is enthusiastic about the traditions that go along with the holiday.
“I already got all of our matching Christmas pajamas for our family, so that’s really exciting for me, and just all of that festive spirit,” Muthusamy said.
Weinberg sophomore Mercy Nyamao went home on Nov. 25 and said she also won’t return to Evanston until the beginning of Winter Quarter.
She said she’s looking forward to eating good food and taking a break from schoolwork.
“This quarter was a lot, so I’m very excited to just bedrot,” Nyamao said.
Nyamao said she hopes the time off will give her “a bit of a refresh.” Returning to NU can be difficult for her, she said, since she enjoys being at home.
“Last school year, I traveled out of the country over winter break, but I didn’t come back,” Nyamao said. “This time, I’m really hoping that I can just really get bored of being at home.”
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