Are you studying abroad soon? Need to pack but don’t know where to start? You’re in the right place. In this post, I walk through all the essentials you can’t leave home without.
Contents
All of Your Documents
You might think that the key to getting to your study abroad destination is the airplane flying you there, which is true, however, your key to getting on that plane is a lot of paper. While some documentation varies based on your program and what they provide for you, most of the following are essentials you should be sure to have on departure day.
- Identification
- Passport
- Driver’s license
- All your business
- Visa (if applicable)
- Letter of acceptance from your university or program
- Letter from your doctor concerning prescription medicine
In most cases, you will not be asked for proof that the medicine you are carrying is prescribed to you, so long as your information is on the medicine that you are bringing. It is also advised that you keep your medicine in its original packaging.
- Proof you spent all your coins getting there
- Boarding Pass
- Bank Statements
- If you get stopped at passport control, they may want you to prove that you have money to spend while you are in their country.
- Money Money Money
- Currency Notes
- I would recommend having access to around $100 worth of each currency.
- Bank Cards
- Currency Notes
DO NOT keep all of your forms of payment in the SAME PLACE. Pickpocketing is a real thing. Luggage gets lost. People get tired and make big mistakes. You do not want to lose one piece of luggage and then be stuck without any way to pay for your time abroad. Especially, if your study abroad program is not an internship because, on a visitor or student visa, you cannot work.
Worried about keeping your finances in order? Don’t panic! I’ve got you covered. Check out this post for my best tips on studying abroad without going broke.
- PHOTOCOPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS
You do not want to lose any of these documents and they should be easily accessible when you need them. My holy grail for keeping all travel documents together is a pronged folder with clear sheet protectors. You can find both of these at any department store inexpensively. If you want to step it up a notch, I also bought a reusable envelope to separate my passport and boarding pass. This way, the envelope fit in the folder, but I did not have to worry about fishing either from the sheet protectors to be scanned.
Your Non-Negotiables
Beyond the essentials of what you need to get into the country or while living there, ensure to pack your non-negotiables that will help you adjust to your new environment. I made it a priority to research which items that I use on a daily basis were uncommon or non-existent in the country I was visiting. My non-negotiables truly softened my transition from my home country to my new country, and I do not regret bringing any of them. Your non-negotiables do not have to match anyone else’s. They are just for you, to help make your experience the best it can be.
There are three main factors that you can use to classify an item as a non-negotiable.
- It does not exist in the country you’ll be living in
If you are traveling from America to Europe, the regulations, norms, and customs are different. Therefore, the products, even ones of the same brand, will be different. Knowing this, I prepared myself for the experience of trying all new products and foods, however, there were two things I could not compromise on. The first, I planned to not have access to for the duration of my stay, the second, however, was a huge surprise.
Toothpaste. Dental hygiene and care are important to me, so I knew that I wanted bring full-sized toothpaste with me, and boy was I glad I did. Many of my peers complained of gum pain and bleeding after using toothpaste in London simply because they are formulated differently and our American mouths were not used to it.
Deodorant. When I realized that the stick deodorant that I so faithfully used did not exist in London, I was shook. Thankfully, my family came to visit me and brought me more after I ran out and was stuck with a less-than-satisfactory experience trying spray on deodorant.
- It creates a sense of normalcy when everything else is new
Satin pillowcase. As a Black queen who loves wearing her natural hair, a sating pillow case was a MUST.
Travel blanket. On international flights, many airlines will gift travelers a blanket on the way, however, I did not use my blanket for travel at all. Instead, I used it on my bed in my room because I did not find the duvet fabric to be soft on my skin. The blanket that I brought was lightweight and compact so it was practical and it doubled as a memento from home as it was a gift from a mentor.
- You can’t go a day without it
Bible. For space and weight sake in my luggage, I knew I did not want to bring my large study Bible. However, I did not want to soley be reliant on my digital copies, especially for reading before bed. Ultimately, I chose to bring a small study Bible which doubled as a memento since it had been gifted to me by a loved one.
Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. While I am not very picky about my facewash or sunscreen, I am in a deeply committed relationship with Cetaphil’s moisturizing lotion. Putting it on is a refreshing and essential part of my pampering routine and I refused to leave home without it, nor was I willing to try a new formula of it.
Mementos from Home
Mementos are personal artifacts of things that you love about home that you bring into your space to help combat possible homesickness. What you consider to be a memento is completely your choice and can range from all sorts of things. At this point, I have mentioned a few items that served their practical purpose in addition to acting as a memento for me including my travel blanket and Bible.
Other mementos that I brought include:
- Pictures of loved ones or fun experiences
- Picture of me and my coworkers on a field trip
- What can I say? I enjoy my work, I love my coworkers, and not being able to work, I missed both of them very much. The same framed picture also lived in my dorm the previous semester so it reminded me of my suitemates whom I also missed.
- Picture of me and my coworkers on a field trip
- Gifts from loved ones
- Stitch plushie
- Cornelius squishmallow
- Travel blanket
- These three mementos played double duty during my stay. Each of them lived on my bed creating a comfy and cozy environment whilst decorating my room and reminding me of my friends, family, and mentors.
- Cards from loved ones
- Handwritten graduation and birthday cards
- I chose three aesthetically pleasing and meaningful handwritten cards of encouragement gifted to me by some loved ones. I hung each of them on the provided pin board in my room, accompanied by my sticker collection that previously hung on my string lights from my fall dorm.
- Handwritten graduation and birthday cards
Emergency Essentials
- In case it is not at your residence upon arrival
- Large Hand Towel
- Washcloth
- Shower Shoes
I am very particular about the textures of towels and washcloths that I use, so I made sure to bring my own towels and washcloths in case I did not like the ones provided. To my surprise, the washcloth provided was imaginary and the towel provided was rather subpar. I was grateful to have brought my own bath linens, especially because after a long travel day, the first thing I wanted to do was take a shower. This is where having my shower shoes available in addition to soap and all my other necessary toiletries was useful.
- Snacks
You never know what could happen while you’re at the airport and when you’re already full of emotions, hunger is not your friend. You could get stuck in a long airport security line, your flight could be delayed, or you may not have many food options so all of the lines are long. Be sure to pack at least 2 to 3 resealable snacks for your travel day. You could even freeze a water bottle before you arrive at the airport so that as you wait for boarding to start, you can have water to drink.
Cleaning Supplies
Yes. Cleaning Supplies. No. Not full-sized. Hear me out. On your travel day and upon your arrival at your residence you will encounter a lot of surfaces. The key to avoiding arrival sickness is ensuring you are taking care of your immune system and wiping down as many surfaces as you can.
- Hand wipes
- Tech Wipes
- Travel-sized Disinfectant Spray
- Hand Sanitizer
These four items will work wonders in ensuring that the surfaces you touch are clean and safe.
*Bonus* Empty Space
Unless you’d like to spend upwards of $200 sending home all of the stuff you’ve accumulated during your time abroad, leave space in your checked bag. Even if you are an incredibly careful packer and/or a minimalist, you will purchase items that will need to return home with you. Loved ones may send you cards and/or packages in the mail, you may purchase souvenirs, or you may fall in love with some snacks that you want to bring back for your friends and family to try (or just for yourself).