Thanksgiving Break Testing and Well-Being

November 16, 2021

Dear Tulane Community:

As we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving break, we wanted to provide you with some updates on testing, and how to make the most of your time away from classes.

COVID-19 Testing

The following testing schedule is planned for the Thanksgiving break:

  • Recommended – Thanksgiving Travel Testing QR Codes will be sent to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students beginning 11/16.
     
  • Required – Thanksgiving Return Travel Testing QR Codes will be sent to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students beginning 11/24.

We recognize the stressful semester we have all experienced due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation and the impact that Hurricane Ida had on our community. We want to encourage you to use the Thanksgiving break as a time to rest, recharge, and prepare for the end of the semester. Your health and well-being are our top priority. The following strategies are suggestion to help you maximize your break.*

1. Relax, have fun, and make memories. Take time to connect with family and friends to celebrate the season. Bake cookies, sleep in and lounge in your pajamas all day or find your personal preference to truly unwind.

2. Set realistic expectations for how you spend your break time. Don’t pack your schedule with studying. Instead, set a reasonable amount of time to complete any assignments you may have. You can also divide your assignments into smaller tasks and tackle them one day at a time.

3. Create a to-do list. Create a daily to-do list that sets a task or amount of time you want to dedicate to each course or lecture. Whether it’s completing five online reading assignments or spending ten minutes reviewing your notes, by having a tangible goal you’ll be more motivated to be productive.

4. Plan to study early (or late…). Holiday breaks are busy with personal travel, family visiting from out of town and friends making plans to catch up. The best way to ensure productivity is to pencil study time in before (or after) the day’s activities. Plan on greeting the day earlier or staying up a little later to get your studying done. Be mindful of choosing the option that best fits your personality.

5. Be outspoken. Let your family and friends know about your obligations. By telling those around you about your plans for maintaining your productivity, they can not only honor that time but encourage it if they notice you are falling behind.

6. Don’t cram. Too often, holiday fun gets in the way, and students spend their last night of breaks cramming in a study session. Even if you can only find half an hour every day, maintain a consistent schedule to help keep material fresh and facilitate the transition back to a fuller class load.

7. Focus on your personal well-being. Allocating time to work on your own well-being is critically important. The tools below will help you do this:

  • You at College: a comprehensive well-being portal for students, faculty, and staff that is adaptable to any device and contains resources for your mental, physical and social well-being, including those provided by the university. Visit you.tulane.edu or access its link on the Gibson online portal.
     
  • TAO (Therapy Assistance Online): includes over 150 brief, effective, educational sessions on topics and skills related to mental health, wellness, and substance use issues. TAO Includes interactive sessions, mindfulness exercises and practice tools all aimed at helping you achieve your goals. Click here to register.
     
  • Togetherall: an online peer-to-peer platform offering a safe space to connect with others experiencing similar feelings. Togetherall has trained professionals available, 24/7, 365 days a year. If sharing isn’t your thing, each of the platforms has tools and courses to assist, along with plenty of resources to explore. Click here to register with your Tulane email.
     
  • WellTrack: a self-guided wellness platform where students can utilize interactive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and self-help tools with a wide-range of courses on stress, anxiety, depression, resilience and more. Click here to register with your Tulane email.

*Adapted from https://utep.edu/extendeduniversity/utepconnect/blog/november-2017/7-wa…