With the Fall semester gearing up to begin, I know a lot of y’all out there are anxiously beginning to pack for your semester studying abroad. Study Abroad is such a fun and exciting experience! However, knowing what to pack for study aboard and what not to pack is the exact opposite of fun!
I was in that position last fall. I’m a notorious over-packer too, so I definitely packed more than I needed. I wasn’t sure what to pack for study abroad. To help y’all out so you don’t pack too much like me, I wanted to give my advice on what to pack for study abroad! With that in mind, my list is more tailored to Europe since that is where I studied abroad (check out my post here). But without further ado:
Nessicities
These are all items you either must have on you, or I totally think you should have with you!
- Passport
- Ticket
- $300 in cash of local currency
- Health Insurance card – I suggest getting it laminated
- Notify your bank about your trip for both debit and credit cards
- Pack a water bottle- I was so dehydrated the first several days in Germany, so make sure you have a bottle you can refill.
- Gifts for your host family
- A Journal-This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, you should write down all the different thoughts and emotions you experience through it all
Clothes
So when it comes to clothes, I have a few suggestions on what number of items you should bring. I 100% suggest using Space bags to pack all of these into your luggage!
- 2 weeks worth of Underwear and Socks
- Thermal Underwear
- 1 Jacket
- 1 Coat
- 2 Pairs of Jeans
- 5 Blouses maximum
- 1 Nice outfit
- Walking shoes (A MUST)
- Rain Gear (shoes, umbrella, jacket)
- Warm Pajamas
- Anti Theft Purse
- Backpack
Technology
When packing your luggage, I suggest using bubble wrap to make sure that all of your belongs are protected! Remember, these items should also be packed in your carry on luggage and not checked! Don’t want any fires on the plane!
- Laptop
- Camera
- 3 Power Adapters for outlets.
- 1 Flashdrive
- Portable charger for your phone
Toiletries
A lot of sites will say not to pack your own hair tools because of the power conversion, but if you check your tools beforehand to make sure they will work, then I do suggest bringing your own instead of buying some. Better to use that money on weekend trips. Also, most places have their own version of CVS (such as DM in Germany) where you can go buy shampoo, toothpaste, etc. so I don’t recommend packing any of that. Just buy it when you are overseas.
- Over – the – Counter Drugs- They did not sell the type of medicine I like in Germany at all which put me in a bit of a pickle, so pack your own medication (as long as it’s legal in the country you’re going to)
- Vitamins
- Tampons- I could not find tampons the entire time I was in Germany. Luckily I picked some up in London, but just pack your own box if you use tampons.
- Hydro Towel- this towel is so easy to pack for all your weekend trips. It drys you really quick and takes up very little room.
Apps to Download before going
- GoEuro – best way to find affordable train and plane tickets across Europe
- Duolingo – So you can practice the local language
- Google Translate
- DB & SWB app – If you’re studying abroad in Germany, these will help you get around the cities
- Skype – Make sure your family back home downloads it too so y’all can talk without using cellular data!
I’m sure there are things other people might suggest, but personally, this is my list of what I thought was worth bring when I studied abroad in Germany. This is an adventure of a lifetime! Trust me when I say you will have the greatest time! But just in case you’re still anxious about packing, I’ve included a Checklist of what to pack for study abroad that you can download and printout to help you! Let me know where y’all are studying abroad at and what all you plan on bringing!
