It’s that time of year. College kids dread the thought of having to look at their giant pile of, well everything, and attempt to fit it all into bags and boxes. For others, it's spending hours making lists and wasting hundreds of post-it notes to perfectly label everything they are preparing to pack. Whether you chose to pack the day of or a week prior, the packing process is in no way easy and can be told in 5 stages, all represented by the good ol' pop hits of the early 2000s. Get ready for some nostalgia.

Stage 1: “No Scrubs” by TLC

This stage is specifically for the last-minute packers. The ones who realize that they are leaving for college in the morning and have to somehow pack everything into boxes and bags in no more than three hours. They can barely fit their shoes into a bag, let alone scrub or clean their sheets/clothes/etc. Guess they’ll just have to wait days to use the washer and dryer at school.

Stage 2: “Get Busy” by Sean Paul

OK, small talk over. You need to start packing instead of looking at all the stuff you need to somehow fit in your car. You won’t get anywhere just by blankly staring at dozens of piles of stuff. To all of the procrastinators out there, listen to Sean Paul and get busy.

Stage 3: “Why Not” by Hillary Duff

Should you bring your giant container of gold glitter and Magic Growing Jungle Animal Capsules (AKA those capsules that turn into little foam animals when you put them in water)… why not! College is an interesting place and sometimes you end of packing really random things, but you never know when you’ll need them. I have a whole bag reserved for random knick-knacks, and it only gets heavier with time.

Stage 4: “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys

Everyone has their favorite clothing items that they can’t live without. It could be their favorite crop-top or their favorite pair of jeans, whatever it may be; it’s a MUST on the packing list. With all the chaos and piles on piles of clothes that comes with packing, these statement pieces tend to get left behind. One of the worst feelings is when you finally but barely fit all of your clothes into your duffle bag, but soon realize that you forgot to pack your favorite top. Sacrifices must be made because like Keys says, “But everything means nothing, if I ain't got you.” You dig into the over-packed duffle to find one of your seven pairs of jeans and decide to leave them home to make room for the top, of course.

Stage 5: Last but not least - “I’m Just A Kid” by Simple Plan

No matter how old you are, what year of college you’re going into, or how far away college is from your hometown…remember, there’s no need to adult just yet. I always get super nostalgic when I pack, especially when I take a step back and realize that I’m not a “literal-kid” anymore. But, that doesn’t mean you need to all of the sudden be an adult. Yeah, you might in the twenty-club and living on your own, but you’re still allowed and encouraged, sorry mom and dad, to make mistakes in college! Don’t rush these four years my friends, it goes by way damn too fast. Before you know it, you’ll be getting a diploma and wishing that you could be a kid in college again.

Blast your Early 2000s Throwbacks playlist, grab your suitcase and get ready for another unforgettable year, college kids!