To most students at Penn State, Thanksgiving is a time for going home and being with family. Students look forward to seeing loved ones after months of being away at school.

However, this is not the case for all Penn Staters. International students, who come from all over the world, do not always celebrate Thanksgiving. So, what is Thanksgiving break like for them?

Some students accompany friends home and celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.

Charrith Reddy is a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Bangalore, India. He is visiting a friend in Pittsburgh today, and he visited another in New Jersey last year.

"It was interesting; I got to eat a lot of food, and it was very different from what I am used to," he said.

Most of my international friends are staying on campus this year, Reddy added. 

Michelle Kwan, a sophomore accounting and applied science major from Taiwan, said she will is joining friends in Chicago.

"It's nice to get out from school and have some fun before finals. However, it would be even better if I could go home. Though my family does not celebrate Thanksgiving, seeing everyone reuniting with their families’ sort of makes me homesick," she said.

Similarly, Yuhan Hu, a sophomore biochemistry major from China, doesn't know any Chinese students heading home for the holiday. Hu is visiting relatives in Michigan today.

"I would rather stay at my place back in China, however the airline ticket is too expensive and the holiday is too short," Hu said. 

Though it is a short break, some students choose to go home to their native countries.

Kemal Bal, a sophomore architecture major from Istanbul, is one of them.

"I think of every day as a Thanksgiving day," Bal said. "Some friends are going to Miami this year. I am going back home to Istanbul."

For students choosing to stay at Penn State this holiday break, the university has offered on‐campus housing for around $20 per day. Though most residence halls are closed, there are three nine-month buildings that have continuous occupancy, meaning they stay open August through May, despite holidays and breaks.

There are 110 students staying in these buildings -- McElwain, Hartranft, and Mifflin -- over Thanksgiving break.

Downtown State College does its best to include students staying on campus in the holiday spirit.

The Mt. Nittany United Methodist Church hosts a free Community Thanksgiving dinner from 3:30 to 6 p.m. today

The SOZO Institute of Art is also hosting their Annual International Thanksgiving Dinner for students from 4 to 6 p.m. today. Students must sign-up ahead of time if they are planning on attending.