How To Pack

By Lev Novak

So, you’re heading home before you know it, and you want to make sure that you’re actually packed and ready to leave.

Having your clothes on the floor is fine and all, but eventually they need to make their way into your bag.

So, I’m assuming you don’t really know how to pack, or that you at the very least really don’t want to do it. That’s fine. I’m in the same boat, and I vividly remember every last night of camp being magnified in emotional severity by the intense, impossible task for packing my things.

Packing is symbolic, annoying, and difficult. So how are we going to solve this?

We’re going to break the rules.

1. Extra Bags

It’s quite simple. If you can’t fit all your stuff into two bags, get a third. If you can’t do it in one trip, do it in two.

Now, the obvious disclaimer is that this is tricky or impossible for people using planes. But, if you’ve got a car or a bus, you can think about your actual bags in more creative ways. For example, did you know that you can sling your laundry bag full of clothes into a car, bus or train if you don’t have much self-respect? It’s true, and I’ve done it quite a few times myself. Having an extra bag to throw stuff in dramatically decreases the difficulty of actually packing (let alone folding) your clothes.

2. Extra Trips

Similarly, if you’ve got a car or a bus, maybe two trips is the way to go. If you have time off before the lease is gone and you live nearby, consider it a flexible option that can even involve a “free” excuse to visit. If you leave campus on the 15th, and the lease is up the 31st and you live near enough to school, just take two trips. Leave some stuff so you can pop by the last weekend and say goodbye to the apartment with one last party. It’ll be sentimental, fun, and the best excuse to be lazy about packing you’ve had in a while.

3. Get Rid Of Stuff

Don’t want to pack something? Toss it. Simple as that.

How many t-shirts do you actually need? Isn’t it time you upgraded your wardrobe? What about that junky furniture- leave it for the next guy or the curb. Your textbooks? Sell them now- forget the hassle of your basement. And will you really need all that various junk you’re bringing? Give some away, to friends or to Goodwill. Either way, don’t carry it home.

Simplify, simplify, as the saying goes. If you’re leaving in the spring, consider spring cleaning as a good habit to get into, plus an easy way to avoid packing heavy.

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