Moving on up (and out)! Summer is here and so is move-out day. Here are some tips to make the process a lot easier and a lot less work for yourself.

1. Garbage bags!

Throw your dirty laundry, clean laundry, extra stuff, and just about anything in these. You can smush them into a bag and shove them between the seats or use them as a pillow on the long ride home.

2. For goodness sake, finish all of your food

You complained all year that you don’t have food in your fridge, but just as your parents pull up to the dorm, you realize your fridge is fully stocked. Host a dinner right before you leave to make sure you don’t have to lug half eaten groceries back (even if the only thing on the menu is copious amount of cereal with nearly expired milk and some opened yogurt).

3. Return your books

Do not lug unnecessary textbooks home upon the promise that you will sell them there. You know you won’t. Drop that extra weight.

4. Ship it

No, I am not talking about you and that cute guy from class, but rather shipping items home. It can be a fairly cost-effective way to get your stuff back without you having to stuff your car up to maximum capacity.

5. Coordinate with your roommates (if possible)

If your roommates are moving out the same day, try to coordinate. No one wants to get hit by flying boxes or a fight for the elevator. Even if you get a slight head start ( ~15 minutes), it will be better for you and for everyone in your party.

6. Stop bringing so much stuff

You didn’t wear that shirt this semester or last or not in the last couple years. Make use of the cardboard boxes in your dorm’s lobby and recycle it. Also, stop packing so heavy in the first place. You will accumulate stuff throughout the year and then not realize just how tall that mountain has grown.

7. Smile

Although it is sometimes a long and tiring process, you finished another year of school and have a whole summer ahead.