It's the most wonderful time of the year. Classes are coming to an end, final exams are almost over, and Christmas break is finally upon us. For some, this means spending a month back at home. Others might spend the break traveling. My break involves a combination of both, which makes packing for the next 4 weeks pretty difficult... especially when the only suitcase I brought to college is carry-on size. Oops.

Thankfully, I've had lots of experience packing for long amounts of time with a limited amount of luggage space. (True story: I once packed 14 days worth of winter clothes in a carry-on because I refused to pay the baggage fee.) Here are my best packing tips for this long break.

1. Roll your clothes instead of folding them.

Rolled clothes take up much less space than folded clothes. Plus, as an added bonus, rolling helps prevent your clothes from getting wrinkled.

2. Pack lots of basics.

Packing lots of solid, neutral colors will help make each piece of clothing go a long way, especially if you have the opportunity to do laundry. Pieces like a gray sweater, black jeans, or a denim jacket can be styled dozens of ways, meaning you don't have to pack so many different items of clothing.

3. Try everything on.

Try on (or lay out) each outfit you're bringing and think to yourself- "Am I actually going to wear this?" Though this may seem like a super arbitrary and possibly time-consuming step in the packing process, I've found that it's the best way to keep myself from overpacking. This tip works especially well if you're traveling and you want to save extra space in your luggage for souvenirs.

4. Don't rush it.

It's usually a good idea to give yourself time to pack, especially for a long trip. Rushing often leads to forgetting things, and trust me, you don't want to be halfway home when you remember you forgot to bring something important.

Happy packing y'all, and have a great break!