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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

With only a few weeks left before the end of the semester, going home for winter break is at the forefront of many Penn State students’ minds. 

I am a chronic overpacker, constantly filling my car to the brim as if I’m moving back and forth for each break. However, as I spend more time in college, I am learning that overpacking for school breaks does more harm than good by causing me more stress for my return. 

That is why I am here with the ultimate packing list for school breaks to help you combat overpacking. 

Daily Hygiene Products

Pack just the essentials, while it is fun to pack extra skincare and makeup items, it is important to consider the actual likelihood that you will use the items more than once over break. 

If you are not going to use the item more than once over break, it does not need to go home with you.

A week of clothes

One of the best parts about going home is the in-house laundry service, also known as the parental unit. This will likely be the most on-top of your laundry you will be all year, take advantage of it. 

You do not need clothes for every occasion while you are home for break. Plus, this gives you room in your suitcase to bring new clothes back to State College.

Jewelry

On a similar note, jewelry helps freshen up any look and with the number of combinations, you can create unlimited outfits. Jewelry barely takes up any room in your suitcase, but gives you an entirely new wardrobe. Just be sure to keep your necklaces from getting tangled. 

Tip: You can thread your necklaces through straws to keep them from getting tangled in your bag. 

Two Books

School breaks are the perfect time for reading through your overpacked stash of books, but if there is one thing about books, it’s that they are heavy and can take up too much room in your luggage. 

Bring one book for the initial travel back home and bring another book for the travel back. In between these books, you can check out your local library. Most libraries have a book delivery system that will deliver your newest reads straight to your door at no cost. 

This trick helps you save money and room in your luggage. 

limit the number of hobbies that you bring

With winter break coming up, it is also the start of a new year, which oftentimes includes resolutions about developing new hobbies. It is important to be realistic on what you will actually accomplish during break and factor in downtime — you don’t want to force productivity to complete hobbies. 

Pick one hobby that you want to spend time learning and another hobby that you enjoy doing but haven’t had the chance to engage in during the semester. This will be the perfect balance of trying something new and the satisfaction of doing an activity you already know that you like. 

Remember for winter break this year, less is more.

Teagan is a third-year student at Penn State studying political science and broadcast journalism with a minor in civic and community engagement. When she is not writing for Her Campus @ PSU she is watching Grey's Anatomy, caring for her plants and hanging out with her roommates.