As soon as the calendar hits November 1st every year, I'm constantly on the lookout for lost turkeys squatting in the brown grass. I immediately see the crunchy leaves that aesthetically fall from the naked trees.  And most importantly, I start emotionally preparing for my favorite holiday of the season: Thanksgiving. To prepare for Thanksgiving, here are a few things you should do (other than preparing the food).

Train for the Big Meal

For some of you, that means getting in that healthy mindset for those couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. In other words, you'll be exercising and watching what you eat so that you've collectively left enough room in your stomach to really chow down on November 22. For others like me, you'll prepare for Thanksgiving by constantly eating big meals so that you're fully trained to eat more than you really need to. Like my mom says, practice makes perfect. Regardless of how you train for the holiday, that mentality will help you conquer Thanksgiving dinner.

Prepare Answers for Those General Questions

As it is every year, holidays = family gathering = personal questions. Personally, I've never been asked a question by my dad's friend or my third cousin that I didn't want to answer. However, most of those questions fall under the general categories of school, college, careers, and more school. Just be prepared to be interviewed, and welcome those questions with open arms.

Listen to Holiday LoFi Hip-Hop

It's the holiday season! But we also have to non-stop grind! Because of school! Woohoo! Once it hits November, I know I have to keep studying and doing work, but I can't help but get all giddy for the holidays. So, to prepare for Thanksgiving break, listen to a nice holiday LoFi hip-hop playlist to set the vibe for your *insert subject of your choice* homework. It's honestly the best it can get.

There you have it—your guide to emotionally prepare for Thanksgiving. Hopefully, within the chaos of math, physics, and history tests/quizzes, you'll find some peace in knowing that you're ready to tackle on this holiday. Let's take this moment to be grateful for the school break we'll soon have and—of course—for the Thanksgiving leftovers.