Many of us find that once we go on holiday we immediately regret bring those 3 tops we never wore and half the suitcase of things we never used. Studying abroad isn’t any different, you don’t want to be the girl or boy who has to throw things away because you didn’t need it. So if you’re off to study abroad soon here is the ultimate guide of the NO DON’T PACK list, so that you can make room for the more important things.
Toiletries
You think you need them but you don’t. Toiletries are the main culprits when it comes to packing, as heavy bottles of shampoo, conditioner, cream and hair ‘essentials’ that in the end you end of packing everything. The truth is you can really live without them or can easily replace them when you get to your study abroad destination. Unless you’re travelling to somewhere pretty remote, chances are you’ll be able to pick up these products in a local supermarket for a reasonable price or buy them online!
Reminders Of Home
Every single prospective year abroad student gets scared of feeling homesick. No matter how excited you are to travel to a different country. The temptation to bring home reminders is very strong, however you have instant messaging and video messaging which you can use alongside this you don’t want to loose anything you find valuable whilst you are away.
Books
Your lecturers and professors won’t want to hear this but don’t bring books with you on your year abroad. They’re big and heavy and chances are, you won’t even need them. Use a Kindle as a substitute or download ebooks on your phone.
Food
If you’re a food lover (who isn’t?) you probably will get a craving for tastes of home; especially chocolate and other treats. However, you should resist the urge to pack these in your case. Not only are they major space wasters, but foodstuffs and liquids can cause customs issues; especially if you’re travelling to another continent and studying abroad.
Guidebooks
As tempting as it can be to bring along all your research when your studying abroad alongside language books, rest assured that you do not actually need them. With so much technology available to you, you can always look up attraction, cafes and translations online. If you really want to get stuck in have a try at speaking to the locals, I am sure they can tell you a thing or two on the best places to visit and how to pronounce your words.
We hope you enjoy studying abroad and don’t forget you can get student discounts off your flight over there!