Winter Break: 31 Ways Students Can Make the Most of January

Each December, parents welcome returning students with open arms, not flinching at the mountain of dirty clothes they drag into front hallways. But as winter break inches along and the holiday merriment winds down, parental goodwill toward nearly grown kids can become as brittle as the Christmas tree abandoned at the end of the driveway.

Arguments over curfew, drinking and sleeping arrangements can easily upend family harmony. But even if those landmines are avoided, the mismatch between pare...