It's about that time of year again... back to school! And inevitably, that means time to start packing up all of your belongings that you'll be bringing back to campus with you. Back to school is fun, but packing isn't necessarily.

Here are some thoughts you have while going through the many stages of packing for back to school.

1. "Where do I even start? I have way too much stuff."

If you're in college, especially going in as a second or third year student, you've acquired a collection of dorm stuff, and stuff you already know you want to bring with you to campus. But it's still hard to pick a spot to start on.

2. "Should I bring all of my clothes? I don't know if I'll need this when I'm on campus."

If you're asking yourself "should I?" about anything, you don't need to bring it. I tend to pack anything and everything when I go back to school, and it takes five million years to unpack everything. Save yourself the frustration. Don't pack everything you own. Don't bring every article of clothing that you own. You'll thank me later.

3. "What if I get sick? I'll need this cough medicine. Maybe. I'm gonna bring it! I should, right?"

Don't. It's a trap. Don't think about hypothetical situations. If you get sick, there's a Dollar General and a Family Dollar half a second away from campus that you can get cheap medicine at. Or even go to the Nurse's office and you'll get free medicine. Don't waste your precious packing time and car space filling it with stuff you probably won't use, or even use only once. Do yourself the favor and just don't bring it.

4. "Holy crap, this is going to be a nightmare to unload."

Yes. You are totally right. Unpacking and moving everything from your house into your dorm on campus is probably one of the worst things. When all of your stuff is unloaded it's great, but before then it really stinks. Pack lightly and don't pack unnecessary things that you most likely won't use. Be smart.

Packing all of your stuff up for college is an exciting time because you're so close to freedom again, and so close to being back on campus with all of your friends. You can't wait to be a short walk away from your friends and not have any parents rules to listen to. Make sure you pack smart. Don't forget any of your essentials, but also don't over pack because that's just as bad. It shouldn't take you 5 days to unpack your stuff and have your dorm be a functional living space. Keep calm while packing for back to school. You've got this!

Happy back-to-campus season!