Volume 125 Issue 59
kansan.com
Thursday, December 6, 2012
WINTER BREAK BREAKDOWN
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
There's more to going home for winter break than travel arrangements.
In September, Jeffrey Kaplan began pricing plane tickets for his flight home to Cincinnati for winter break. He monitored and compared prices at different airlines for a month, and booked his flight in early October.
"I start looking at flights as soon as I know when my finals are," said Kaplan, a sophomore. "I went with Southwest because the price was substantially cheaper due to the time of year."
For Kaplan, the higher cost that comes with booking a flight last-minute was too much. Instead, he paid about $300 for a round-trip ticket to Columbus two months in advance.
However, for those of you who have not yet booked your flight, there is still time. John Novotny, a travel planning professional with Travelers Inc., said the busiest time to travel is from Dec. 21 to 23 and Dec. 30 to Jan. 2.
"The nice thing about the winter break is that it does start prior to the heaviest travel days," Novotny said.
For those of you who are looking to purchase a plane ticket over break, Novotny gave a few tips:
- Look for deals: Though it is not always the least expensive, Southwest
Airlines creates lower starting costs if you're flying directly from one city to the other
- Check, and check again: Reconfirm your reservation directly with the airline involved, not just with whatever source you bought the ticket through. This can be done on the airline's website.
- Get there early: Be there 90 minutes in advance if you have an advanced seat assignment and you are able to print your boarding pass ahead of time.
- Or get there earlier: "I just tell people, if you're sitting around your apartment not doing anything, you might as well go to the airport and wait there," Novotny said. "If you've got a tight schedule and you're finishing a final, that restricts you on what you can do. But if you're literally not doing anything better, you might as well go to the airport two hours in advance."
As an alternative to flying, Novotny said Amtrak is an option.
Although it is less expensive, trains at this time of year run full, and there is only one train that passes through Lawrence every day.
"If they don't mind leaving at a weird hour and travelling a day and a half, that might be a cheaper way to do it?" Novotny said. "A nice thing about the spotted-out break is that you still
have plenty of time at home if you took a mode of transportation that takes longer than flying."
"I've considered taking a train or a bus, but from the looks of it, tickets aren't much cheaper, and the drive time is hours longer" she said.
Kaell Brotherton, a freshman from Centennial, Colo., does not think the lesser cost is worth spending more time travelling home.
Brotherton is driving the 570 miles back home.
"I can stay an extra day if I need rest," she said. "Also, if I didn't drive, then I wouldn't have a car for the entire time off."
She said it would cost a bit more to drive than it would to fly,but she prefers the flexibility of choosing when she would leave.
For students who are driving, carpooling is an option to save on gas money. Services like Zimride — an online program that links carpoolers together — make it easier to find others going in your general direction.
However, carpooling can be inconvenient. Brotherton said that she does not know anyone whom she could carpool with. Also, she would have to shift her schedule to fit the needs of someone else.
"I would rather be able to make decision based on my own schedule, rather than having to coordinate with another person," Brotherton said.
ADJUSTING TO HOME
Now, in the midst of studying for finals and with the holidays on the horizon, it may seem hard to believe that in a few weeks, you will tire of your parents' house and long for the makeshift home you constructed in the secluded stacks of Watson Library this week.
However, going back to a restricted environment after a semester of independence can cause conflicts between students and parents. Here are some tips to handle or avoid any complications:
- Compromise: If your family expects you to follow the same rules you had in high school, have a conversation about what the rules used to be and how they can be reasonably altered. Frank DeSalvo, Associate Vice Provest for Student Success, said that curfew is a source of conflict for many families.
- "Students have been on their own here, they've been coming in at three or four in the morning, and parents are thinking more like midnight or 1 a.m." DeSalvo said.
- Be honest: DeSalvo noted that
smoking has caused some contention between parents and students. If students did not smoke cigarettes before this semester or their parents did not know about it, this could be a surprise. DeSalvo again recommends having an honest discussion before traveling home.
"Parents are thinking that things are pretty much picking up where they left off when they dropped their son or daughter off at school, but students may have established different habits," DeSalvo said. "If there are any big changes, students should start discussing those with the parents sooner rather than later."
- Save some time for family: Your family may expect you to adhere to their schedule — to be up at a certain time, go to the standard family functions, etc. The key is to let them know up front how much time you will spend with friends or traveling out of town and what time you want to wake up each morning. Be open for your schedule to change.
"Students may say, "This is the time I'm going to catch up on my sleep, so I'm going to sleep until one oclock in the afternoon," DeSalvo said. "There's no right or wrong; students should take the opportunity to talk this over and get some
Students will have just enough time to get reacquainted with the streets of Lawrence before things begin to change.
Starting in late February or early March, Iowa Street and Bob Billings Parkway will be under construction. The expected completion date is Nov. 16, 2013.
"We're looking at most of the year," said David Cronin, a City of Lawrence engineer.
Iowa Street, north of Bob Billings,
will be gaining a new center left turn lane,
and the existing four lanes will be decreased in width. Also, construction at the intersection of Bob Billings and Iowa will add dual left turning lanes and right turning lanes in all four directions.
During most of the construction, one lane in each direction will be open on Iowa Street, and drivers will be able to make only right turns onto side streets. Drivers will be able to make left turns on Bob Billings.
The intersection of Bob Billings and Iowa will be closed for construction from May 20 to Aug. 16.
"The reason for that is May 20 is the day after graduation, and Aug. 16 is the day before dorms open," Cronin said. "During that time frame, we're hoping to hit that intersection hard and get the work done
CAMPUS
SEE HOLIDAYS PAGE 2
'Senioritis'an urban legend
REBEKKA SCHLICHTING
rschlichting@kansan.com
"I'm just extremely lazy when it comes to homework; procrastination is always there," Hennahane said. "I'm getting lazy my junior and senior year even though that's when you're supposed to be going really hard, but it's not happening like that. Junioritis is a thing."
James Hennahane, a junior from Leawood, feels he has senioritis already. He said he focused hard his freshman and sophomore year, but now his classes are tougher.
A survey by the National Survey of Student Engagement found that students study an average of 15
hours a week, yet it varies depending on the major, according to a press release by Indiana University. The release said students study more than teachers typically give them credit. The survey found that seniors majoring in engineering study an average of 20 hours a week, and seniors majoring in social sciences and business study an average of 14 hours a week.
Mary Ann Rasnak, Academic Achievement and Access Center director, said she doesn't believe senioritis exists. She said the freshman and sophomore course work is broad, and as a student moves toward their senior year, they focus more on their major,
which can be exciting.
James Carothers, a professor in English, has taught KU students for about 43 years. He has witnessed senioritis in his own students. He said some students decide to add on more work toward their senior year, such as a double major or honors, which can lead to a work overload. He said when students pile up too much work, they can start to feel it's impossible or unnecessary.
"They begin peeling away responsibilities," Carothers said, "and they think they've learned enough to get by with minimal
"it's more of a high school phenomenon," Rasnak said.
study. In addition, they are often distracted by job searches or developments in their personal lives"
He said senioritis is less likely to occur in students who care about their GPA. Michelle Carter, a senior from Kansas City, said her devotion to obtaining good grades has deterred her away from senioritis. However, she has witnessed it in her friends.
"It's the end of the semester, and they are just tired of working." Carter said.
— Edited by Sarah McCabe
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
Seniority, or procrastination, has begun to hit seniors. A survey found that students spend an average of 15 hours a week studying.
Index
CLASSIFIEDS 2B CRYPTOQUOPS 6A SPORTS 18
CROSSWORD 6A OPINION 4A SUDBUK 14
all contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
Don't forget
The KU buses schedule is changing for finals week.
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