Packing Tips For Your Study Abroad

You’re studying abroad how exciting - now you’re looking for packing tips for your study abroad.  Never fear - we have a few tips below you may have not thought about.  If followed, they will help you maximize your study abroad experience!

Be Prepared

If you’re studying abroad, give your self enough time to be properly prepared.  No list of packing tips for your study abroad would be complete without the preparatory first steps.

When you’re traveling internationally, it’s not always as easy and simply buying a plane ticket.  Travel to most countries require visas, an updated and valid passport and many times vaccinations.

Other things you’ll want to have lined up are student discount cards and student ID cards.  Many cities offer student discount cards that allow you to get in to many museums and other establishments at a discount.  Travel in the European Union is one place for example, that also has student discount travel programs with a student ID.  Have these lined up before you leave as they may require documentation and time to secure.

Pro-Tip:Take a picture of your government documents such as passport or birth certificate in case they get stolen.  You can either leave these on a secure folder on your password-protected phone or leave at home for someone to email you in case of an emergency.  Having a photo of your documents may help you in the case of lost or stolen documents at your local embassy.  Having the information on your original documents helps you acquire new documents in the interim.

Pack Light

It may be tempting to pack a lot when you’re leaving home for an extended period of time.  Especially if you are going to be living somewhere during multiple seasons.  But do what the pros do - pack light!

One practical reason for this is that there are strict carry-on limitations with most airlines.  Check the TSA website and in addition to the website of the airline you will be flying.  Some airlines have their own guidelines and will either charge you or reject your baggage if it does not meet their weight or size guidelines.

Other ways to pack light are to keep in mind the seasons you’ll be there and pack versatile items.  It’s a good idea to pack things that can be layered or taken off for all types of weather. Go light on shoes.  Shoes are bulky and take up a lot of room.  Think really carefully about what type of shoes you will really need and try to pack sleek shoes that can be worn with multiple outfits.

Keep Electronics In Mind

When you’re thinking about packing tips for your study abroad, keep electronics in mind. Think about what if it gets stolen or lost?  Think really carefully about if you will need a laptop in addition to your phone, etc.  If it’s not an absolute necessity you might want to forgo bringing that extra expensive electronic and keep it safely at home.

Remember as well that depending on where you are going abroad to study, you will probably need some electronic converters for the different plug ins in your host country.

Check your personal insurance policy as well to see if they have a rider to cover lost or stolen electronics. In many cases, you may have insurance coverage or a laptop or other expensive electronic at little to no deductible cost.

We hope these lesser heard packing tips for your study abroad will help you as you prepare for your next great adventure!

Check out the Keylock Storage Blog for more interesting articles about organization and lifestyle: keylockstorage.com/blogs