You’re leaving the country. You may not be starting a new life, but you are starting a new chapter of you life.
You’re gonna need to bring a lot of stuff and be able to condense it into a small space.
Why?
You won’t have a giant house to store all your stuff so you only need to bring essentials.
Airline baggage fees are expensive and even if you’ve got the money, why possibly spend 100’s extra to haul belongings across the world that you may never use.
After months of being abroad and traveling, both heavy and light… I’ve come up with the ultimate packing list if you are going to study abroad for the first time.
The first, being your initial departure list and the second, being your travel destination bag.
Here’s what you need for your initial departure packing list.
Phone
First thing I can’t stress enough for success is a phone. Of course this might seem obvious and everyone nowadays as a modern phone don’t they. Depending on your destination though it might be in your best interest to get an inexpensive unlocked cell phone on your own terms as opposed to struggling to get one while you are struggling in a new country. Some countries to study abroad are much safer than others and so having a cheaper phone is recommended.
It’s not hard to find an inexpensive/non contract service plan abroad. I saved a lot of expenses on miscellaneous other things and was able to get an inexpensive Android phone and pay 10 Euros for a prepaid service with a Data plan.
Suitcase or Backpack?
Now we can get into the hard packing. I packed one big suitcase, a duffel bag and a large sized backpack. I’ll address the backpack an its importance later.
Clothing
10 days of socks and underwear
10 t-shirts
2 pairs of comfortable tracksuit trousers
2 pairs of shorts
2 hoodies
2 coats. (make sure at least one coat is water resistant)
Everything really is destination/weather applicable though. Gloves and hat (real winter gloves depending on season). Or if you are going somewhere warm or for a summer semester. You can trade the coat and go with a windbreaker. The gloves can also be traded for something else.
Smart clothing is one of those things you will regret not bringing. Not every place is going to let you in wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and not many random bum students will have clothes like this. You also want to set yourself apart and have some style.
This should only take about half of your suitcase if everything is rolled. This allows you to have enough clothes to last you at least 6 months and swap everything out. No one should even notice you don’t have 10 wardrobes to choose from.
You should also be prepared to share washing machines and or have no drier. But if you have a good schedule, you’ll never run out of clothes or have nothing to wear.
With you extra space you should be able to fit 3 pairs of shoes. One of these pairs should be running shoes and the other should be a sort of smart shoe for any nights out or occasions.
Cosmetic Bag
Toothbrush, razor, makeup, female hygiene products – whatever you need. I actually suggest that you don’t bring a loads of your favourite products, a lot of liquids wont make it through the airport and they take up space. You will be able to buy them in your new home.
Tech
Laptop – how else will you get work/studying done? View these student laptop tips.
Ipad – entertainment.
Noise reduction headphones – perfect for travelling or just relaxing.
Plug Converters
Such as UK/USD/Euro converter. You’re going feel stupid if you think ever place has the same sort of power outlets, and the little money you have will be ripped from you if you try to buy these in the airport.
Condoms
Haha. You think I’m joking. Buy yourself a big box of condoms – both males and females. Sure you might not use them all but its better to be safe than sorry. You’re gonna be socialising and traveling a lot and meeting girls/guys left and right in places you’ve never been before. Be honest with yourself. You’re not going buy condoms when you get of the train in a new city, just keep some with you at all times
Things Not to Pack
A Digital Camera
I happen to be a camera enthusiast and wanted a high tech camera for my travels. But I wasnt gonna lug around a bulky DSLR. I bought one of these Nikon p7000 years ago and I’ve won photo contest with the pictures I’ve taken with it. But for the average student, a basic phone camera will be enough for you. Camera technology is so up to date that you can do everything with most phone cameras unless you are a real photo enthusiast.
Portable Hard Drive
Just back up everything online and save yourself the space in your luggage.
Portable Speakers
I took a decent pair of portable speakers will raise your quality of life if you like music. You might invite someone over and want to play some music. You might just want to watch a show on your laptop and want more sound. I bought a pair of Portable Speakers years ago for cheap and they came with a case that could fit in a backpack. But really, ask yourself is this something you really need? Most laptops, tablets and phones have more than enough sound.
Protection Earplugs
Clubs get loud and earplugs are barely noticeable. I valued my hearing and as a student you will likely be in clubs and bars a lot. The people living around you might be loud as anything but like me you might just want to tune it out. Earplugs should be higher on the list, you won’t realise how well these come in handy, but they are also really not a real essential.
Are there are important things you think are essential/not needed for studying abroad? Let me know.