As Texas A&M braces for exam season, the excitement builds as three Aggies disclose their holiday plans, ushering in the Thanksgiving holiday.

At this point in the semester, students start packing their belongings and making their way home to reunite with their families. As the temperature drops in College Station, signaling the onset of the holiday season, Aggies embark on planning festivities with friends, sharing meals with family and centering their attention on expression of gratitude.

One of the most important aspects of Thanksgiving is the food, economics junior Israel Gonzales said. Every Thanksgiving his family celebrates at his uncle’s home in Mathis, where the turkey is fried, Gonzales said. Despite the scheduling challenges that arise from splitting the holiday between his mom and dad’s sides of the family, Gonzales said dedicating quality time to family is important.

“We’ll have a meal with one side of the family for two or three hours and then go to my grandma’s, my mom’s side of the family, and spend the rest of the day there,” Gonzales said.

Going to both family events means eating twice the servings, Gonzales said. Though he doesn’t participate in the cooking, he said he does help his mom, the chef of the family, prepare meals and helps out with cleaning.

“People think of Thanksgiving and turkey,” Gonzales said. “I like ham because turkey gets you tired, but ham and mac and cheese are my favorite go-to’s.”

Some students are choosing to celebrate with friends before heading out for the holidays, including sophomore biomedical science Ana Renteria. Her friendsgiving will consist of her friends bringing potluck dishes and spending time together throughout the day. The friendsgiving will be hosted on Friday Nov. 19, she will bring her delicious mac and cheese with enough to share with 13-15 people and there, they will catch up about their semester, Renteria said.

“I always celebrate Thanksgiving with my family no matter what,” Renteria said. “Anything before or after that day, I try to visit friends and chat, but holidays will always be prioritized for family.”

This season is the time to be thankful to one another, and for English sophomore Theresa Marquez, it means being grateful for the support of her family. On Thanksgiving day, her family would go around the table and say their goals for the coming year. Marquez said she hopes to practice more of her faith, excel in her current job and reflect on all opportunities and blessings she has received this past year.

“Although the festivities are fun, I try to remember the true meaning of this holiday, and that is to be thankful,” Marquez said. “I try to give to those who are not as fortunate and let people in my life know how thankful I am for them.”