It’s 3 a.m. I’m bundled up in four layers of clothes, but I’m still freezing. I’m holding a sales paper tightly in my left hand, leaving it exposed to the elements to familiarize myself with my goal. My right hand has long since frozen off from holding the sales paper that contains the product I am vying for.

I scan the paper for a moment, memorizing every descriptor and product number I can see in the dim light. A cold rain has been falling all night on top of me, but as one of hundreds standing outside Best Buy waiting for Black Friday sales to begin, I dare not move for fear of losing my spot. It’s imperative I stand exactly where I am, despite the fact my feet are numb, to be one of the first to enter Best Buy as the clock strikes 5 a.m.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be about family and giving thanks. However, for me, Thanksgiving now takes on new meaning, a more primal meaning — beating my fellow man to the purchase of cheap electronics, clothes and presents.

Sure, it’s great to see family and enjoy a relaxing meal beside a fireplace. Eating entirely too much wonderful food is great in itself, but I make sure I get my fill on Thanksgiving for a different reason. Eating myself stupid gives me the energy to brave the crowds the next day, to spend all night standing in line and to run through a store at 6 a.m. like no one is watching to be the first to get to the register.

While no one knows exactly where the term Black Friday, one of the largest shopping days of the year, came from, it’s commonly accepted that this is the first day of the year that retailers become profitable and are “in the black.” Whatever the reason, Black Friday has become a big part of the Thanksgiving season as stores open early and offer huge price cuts on great products.

Each year, more and more college-age people are doing what I do and are waking up very early to stand in line for their chance at an unbelievable deal. Students stand in line to buy products with huge price drops only to resell them for profit on eBay. Buying a laptop for $399 and selling it later is a great way to make a few hundred dollars. This surely beats the low paying jobs college students typically hold and there are no taxes on this shifty type of capital gain.

College students also find Black Friday sales to be extremely great opportunities to purchase goods to keep. Put off the purchase of a laptop or iPod until the day after Thanksgiving to get a killer deal.

Definitely, for college students who are as crazy or as broke as I am, Black Friday presents a great opportunity to earn a little extra money or purchase a much needed item at a great price, so check it out, just stay out of my way.

Will you be up early shopping on Black Friday? Let us know at [email protected].