Preparing for studying abroad can be a daunting task, but it helps to know what to buy and pack. I chose to study abroad in Ireland on a 2.5 week faculty-led course and spend the rest of the month of June in Europe with my family. I managed to pack for 5 weeks in a carry-on suitcase and a backpack. It was important for me to have a smaller suitcase because we had to carry our luggage a few times and I did not want to check my bag on several flights. I did research a few months in advance of my trip on preparation and how to pack light, and here are some of the tips I found:
- Make a list of everyday items you need to bring well in advance. Get extras if needed, they may not be available where you travel.
- Make a packing list for your clothes in advance as well. Bring items that you will wear multiple times and that clean/dry easily.
- Consider buying an Airtag or similar tracking device for your luggage.
- Explore your options for cell phone usage. Some providers have international plans, but they can get expensive. If you get a sim card or an e-sim, make sure your phone is unlocked from your carrier. I used a physical sim card that I bought online before leaving, but the service was spotty and I had to use a different phone number.
- Check to see what plug adapters you might need and buy them before you arrive.
- If you have prescriptions, make sure you have enough for your trip and a few days extra just in case. Check that your medicine is allowed wherever you are traveling and consider asking your doctor for a note stating that your prescriptions are valid and necessary (I had a note but never needed it).
- Consider bringing bars of body wash, shampoo, conditioner to save space and weight in your suitcase. I used HiBAR shampoo and conditioner bars, which worked just as well as my normal products but lasted longer.
- Check to see if you can do laundry in the place(s) you stay in. Most of the places I stayed in did not have washers or dryers, and some of the ones that did needed coins to operate.
- I brought and highly recommend laundry detergent sheets that could be used in machines and for hand washing. They are much lighter and smaller than liquid versions.
- Be prepared for laundry machines to be different. The ones I used were much slower than I expected and it took multiple cycles to dry clothes.
- Make and stick to a budget.
- Make sure your credit card works where you’re going. Discover cards are generally not accepted in Ireland, so I had to get a new card. Visa and Mastercard were recommended to me.
- Get a small amount of cash to have on hand when you arrive. Airports and other large tourist areas usually have the highest conversion rates.