Updated Monday, Dec. 13, 8:26 p.m. At the urging of the Yale College Council, Commons will open to students starting the morning of Thursday, Jan. 6 — three days earlier than in previous years.

Commons will be open for students on Thursday and Friday, while Silliman will reopen that Saturday. All residential college dining halls will reopen on Sunday. In recent years, dining halls reopened the Sunday evening before the official start of the spring term.

The change comes after a Yale Dining survey about students’ travel plans sent last week on the urging of the Yale College Council, said YCC President Jeff Gordon ’12. The survey asked students when they plan to return to campus at the end of the winter recess and spring break.

Regenia Phillips, head of residential dining, said that Yale Dining is also considering whether to reopen dining halls early at the end of spring break, though Yale Dining has not reached a decision yet.