While the thoughts of many Penn Staters dance around home-cooked meals and family traditions, the plans of international students often don't involve going home.
"I'm in America for a year, I don't see the point of going home," said Judith Flacks, a junior exchange student from England's University of Sussex. "It's not a matter of being with family like it is here."
Many students like Flacks are staying in the United States, one of many options for international students trying to plan out their holiday break. Flacks plans to spend her winter break interning in Washington, D.C., and spend New Year's in New York City.
Masume Assaf, director of international student advising, said the department has received a surprising amount of re-entry documents, which are required for international students trying to leave the United States for the break. Because of the large number of students requesting the documents, Assaf said that advisers don't get the time to ask where students are going.
"They could just be going to Canada, as far as I know," Assaf said, adding that international students are permitted to do whatever they want with their time off. "They can do the same as you do for your vacation."
For many international students, the break may not mean just free time, traveling and being merry. Many students are staying in the United States to do schoolwork.
Vikram Kumar (graduate-electrical engineering) has gone home to India for winter break for the past two years but is spending his first holiday in State College this year. He plans to spend his time working on his thesis, but he isn't too upset about having to stay in the United States.
"I'm kind of used to this place -- I'm not sad about not going home," Kumar said. He likes being here during the holidays and enjoys the Christmas traditions, he said.
Instead of going to see her family in South Korea, Nayoun Lee (graduate-industrial engineering) is staying in State College and hosting some of her relatives.
Lee and her family plan to trade in quiet State College for trips to New York City and Washington, D.C., during the break and she said she is especially excited to take advantage of the sales that happen during the holidays.
Unlike Kumar and Lee, some students will remain in on-campus housing during the winter break.
Some students took advantage of a nine-month housing contract, which includes housing during the winter break. These students will be staying in their own rooms, which are all located in McElwain, Hartranft and Mifflin halls.
Students who will be staying on campus but do not have the nine-month contract or those who will only need on-campus housing for a portion of the break will be staying in lounges in the same three dorm buildings. Food services will not be provided to any of the estimated 20 to 25 students who are staying on campus, but students will enjoy amenities such as television and Internet access, said Judy Ryan, manager of the Housing Assignment Office.
Not all students agree with Lee's assessment that Happy Valley is boring after most of the student body leaves for break.
"It's a lot of fun actually," Kumar said.
