It’s that time of year again—red leaves crunching under your shoes, the smell of cider in the air, football on TV, and college students all over the country getting dumped. That’s right kids—it’s almost Thanksgiving break, and that means only one thing: It’s Turkey Drop season.

For those of you who are unaware of what the Turkey Drop is (freshmen, listen up!), here’s the basic formula: Take two students in a relationship who have been going out for approximately three months now, assuming they began dating at the start of the semester. Well, three months is often long enough for at least one party to get tired and start thinking that maybe there are better options out there. Then, said party (your significant other) goes home for his or her first vacation of the year, hooks up and, before you know it, you’re Turkey Dropped.

As funny as it all sounds, take it from a once-dropped turkey—the Turkey Drop is no fun. It’s right before finals and wildly frustrating after trying to make something work for so long. It’s enough to put a damper on the end of anyone’s semester. But there are some tricks to getting over this terrible holiday backlash.

Get “basted.” Not necessarily the best solution, but sometimes a good drink with a few friends can make the situation seem a little bit less painful—and often a lot funnier. Or you’ll get that chance you’ve been waiting for to cry until your tear ducts dry out.

Make it a marathon. My freshman roommate took care of me from the moment I got back to the dorm until our taxi to the airport before winter break. How? By renting all six seasons of “Sex and the City,” which we had worked our way through by our last final. The show can vary, as long as there’s plenty of laughter and perhaps a cynical romantic plotline. Doing a pseudo-sappy show marathon with friends is the equivalent of chicken noodle soup for the mending heart.

Milk it. When else do you have an excuse to guilt your friends into going out to eat or seeing a movie when they have a stack of homework to do? You only get to play the breakup card for a short period of time—so use it! Nothing is out of the question, from ice cream-eating contests to singing along to “Moulin Rouge” (that applies to guy friends as well as girls).

Do everything you’ve always wanted to do. That may be a little broad, but it doesn’t matter. That haircut you always thought about? Get it! A new workout you wanted to start? Grab a friend, and hit the gym. With your newfound time, there’s so much more that you can do with your life. And the more you get out there, the more likely you are to find what you love—whether it be a new hobby or a new special someone.

Breaking up is always hard to do; no one is denying that. But if you’re able to put a positive spin on it, then you’ll have a better holiday season—and even have a little fun while you’re at it.

So the most important thing to keep in mind this break? Keep it all in perspective. There’s so much more to Thanksgiving dinner than just the turkey. Maybe you’re more of a mashed potatoes guy or gal anyway—and now you’ve got the opportunity to try all the other dishes.