Being able to jump in a car and drive home is a luxury many Penn State students may take for granted.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many students are planning their trips home. But preparing for turkey and family might be pushed back for those who live farther away, requiring them to plan plane rides or a holiday at school months in advance.

Jeff Cohen (sophomore-marketing), a resident of Boca Raton, Fla., said he is fortunate enough to be going home, but despises the hectic schedule it causes.

"I went home last year, but every time I go home, I have to fly at obnoxious times in the morning," Cohen said.

Cohen is scheduled to leave State College at 6 a.m. tomorrow, the first of three times he will see his family this year.

"I like it here and I get to go home Thanksgiving, Christmas break and the summer," he said. "For those other weekends when everyone's away, I like to go on road trips to Canada or Philly."

Danielle Pretsfelder (freshman-theater), who is also from Florida, said the trouble is not the time her flight leaves, but the work involved in planning it.

"I'm leaving Tuesday at 1 p.m., but I had to book the flight in July. I even have to fly somewhere an hour away from my house just so I could save $300 on the ticket," she said.

Although Pretsfelder, like Cohen, is able to fly home for the holiday, she said going home is a rare occurrence.

"I went home for Rosh Hashana, and I'll be going home for Thanksgiving and winter break. Then I won't be home until spring break and I won't really be home this summer, because I'm working in New York City," she added.

Mary Muslow (sophomore-marketing) said flying to her home in Louisiana is not a simple feat, so she will only do it twice this year.

"I'm not flying home that much and I had to book the flight two months in advance, which can get annoying," Muslow said.

Her complaint is not with airlines but just missing her family and friends.

"It's not that bad flying. And if I want to go home to see my family and can't, my friends always offer me to go home with them," she added. "I always have somewhere to go."

According to a press release from the Transportation Security Administration, Thanksgiving is the heaviest travel holiday, because commuting is concentrated in only a few days.

Because of this, some students are not going home for the holiday.

Neil Goldman (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said he only sees his California residence three or four times a year, but is now used to the time away.

"I always went to camp growing up and I'm comfortable with being away from the house," he said.

Instead of booking a flight to the West Coast, Goldman said he will be staying at his fraternity, Acacia, 234 Locust Lane, awaiting his parents' arrival.

"Actually, I'm working on Thanksgiving night, so my parents are bringing me dinner at work," Goldman added.

Going home may seem simple and pain-free to many, but to those who are booking flights five months in advance, laying out up to $1,000 for a plane ticket or working their way through the holiday in State College -- this is life.