When thinking about the end of the semester, the first thing on most people's minds is the dreaded week that is finals. The time of year where pulling all-nighters and drinking excessive amounts of caffeine becomes the norm. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the nice relaxing time that awaits with no academic obligations, but this is where you're forgetting about one small thing. Everyone has to go through it at some point. Whether you're moving out of a dorm, moving into an apartment, or simply packing up and going home it's the same hell either way.

Packing up isn't all bad though. It can turn out to be pretty interesting. If you want to make it slightly less painful, you can look at it like an adventure; a tour back into the memories of the past year. You have the scary parts of the semester that might not have been your proudest moments. The leftover pizza boxes, bowls of hardened leftover ice cream where the spoon is glued to the bowl, and empty bags of chips are evidence of those times of binge eating. You may find things you thought you had lost months ago, like that favorite earring that had mysteriously disappeared one night. You may even discover things you never knew you had, or that weren't even yours to begin with. Those clothes you borrowed from friends that you “forgot" to give back. Finally, are the belongings that you find that tell a story of their own, and remind you of some of the greatest memories you made over the course of the year.

Nonetheless, packing is still a drag. Here are a few tips to help make your packing slightly less dreadful.

• Start early. Don't wait until the last second to begin packing, you will regret it. If you're like me, one of the most unorganized people on the face of this earth, then take the time you think you will need and triple it. Maybe even quadruple it.
• As cliché and as annoying as it sounds, try to keep yourself organized throughout the semester. Trust me, this will make packing at the end of the year a billion times easier. You won't end up finding random items that you didn't even knew you had located throughout your room.
• If you're coming back for the following semester, it may be a good idea to look into storage. This way, you aren't hauling everything you own back and forth.
• Keep a trash bag handy. Better yet, several handy. Nine months of school can get the best of all of us. The pizza box or old bag of chips will definitely need to be put in the trash can, where they belong. And if you aren't going to use it again, throw it out!
• Save the change you find! All the seemingly useless change you find everywhere can total much more than you think it will.
• Recruit some help. No friend, boyfriend, or co-worker will probably be willing to help, but promising them a Starbucks or Chipotle later may give them that extra incentive.
• Take a break or two. You will go insane trying to pack and organize your whole life in one sitting. Go out, grab a bite to eat, hang out with friends. Anything to take your mind off packing!