As Huskies return to their doghouses here in DeKalb after winter break, surely some are thinking “Gee, did I really have to take all of this home?” as they haul their things. Others return to their rooms realizing they had drastically underpacked, happy to have back all of their possessions.
As hard as one tries to be somewhere in the middle, it is inevitable to slightly drift to one extreme or the other. Overpacking or underpacking; Which is better?
Both arguments have upsides and downsides, and of course a healthy middle is naturally the best course of action, but finding that healthy middle is next to impossible. Either you’re so excited to head home that you forget necessities, or you overpack to the point that you barely make it back by New Years. As hard as finding the balance is, taking the time to do so can save you a lot of stress.
For one: Carrying light means less packing/unpacking when you leave and return. It’s efficient, and likely only means just enough clothes and bathroom utilities. However, to pack that minimalistically often means leaving quality of life items like gaming consoles, laptops, books and everything in between.
The flipside of this is packing so much that packing for break becomes an explosion of stress. Carrying your bedding, your TV, all of your clothes – nearly all of your worldly possessions – and squeezing them into your car only to then un-squeeze them when you reach your destination surely doesn’t sound like much of a break at all.
Either way, in the case of winter break, chances are you’ll be coming back to school with more than what you left with. Overpacking and not adjusting for this inevitable influx of possessions only leads to a headache when you move back in.
Avoiding one of these two extremes takes nothing more than some critical thinking – and maybe an online tutorial, too. Pack only the clothes you wear the most, your favorite hobby; just enough to keep you entertained and comfortable without packing yourself to the brink of madness.
The elusive, healthy middle of bringing both what you need, and what you want (and can afford the space to pack comfortably), is by far the best option. But, whether you find yourself reckoning with too little or too much, chances are you still forgot something.
