How to Pack for Study Abroad
So you’ve applied for, and been accepted to, the study abroad program of your choice. Good for you! However, now you have to deal with the challenge of packing for an entire semester in one 50-pound bag, one 23-pound carry on, and a backpack. Between books, notebooks, and clothes, there isn’t much room for error, or you could be charged astronomical fees at the airport for going overweight with your luggage (last I checked, it was $100 USD charge). So how do you pack? Very carefully, and this “bare bones” list of tips should help you out.
1) Pack for 2 weeks and do laundry.
Pack enough short sleeve shirts and pants for only two weeks, and be sure to add sweatshirts. Almost everywhere you go, the weather will change if you are there for 4 months, or the length of a semester. Since packing for different weather types can be rather tricky, be sure to pack clothes that you can easily layer. Under Armor shirts and pants are always good to pack and layer, because they can be worn under just about anything.
2) Get as many liquids as you can there, unless you know you will use them over the course of the semester.
Unless you have to have a special shampoo or similar items, it might pay off to wait until you get to the host country and buy cheap toiletries there. However, if you are certain you will use all of the liquid (or even most of it), you can throw the bottle away, saving space and weight for your return journey.
3) Roll your clothes
This tip won’t save weight, but it will save space. Rolling your clothes, especially pants, makes them almost interlock in your suitcase, saving space. Also, you can roll more than one shirt together at a time. For the “souvenir conscious” traveler, you can fold your clothes on the way over, and roll them on the way back, which gives you more space for souvenirs.
4) Use your carry on to carry heavier items that would otherwise put you over the weight limit
Although airlines can, and do, weigh carry ons, it is much less likely than them weighing your checked luggage, which is a certainty. Also, they will usually let you slide with more weight in your carry on, whereas the airlines charge large amounts for overweight fees on checked luggage. If the airline does make you pay a fee for an overweight carry on, it will be much less than the fee for overweight checked baggage. Keeping this in mind, put heavy items, as long as they aren’t liquids, in your carry on bags.
5) If you take a carry on and a backpack, put all of the items you have to take out for security in your backpack.
Going through security can be a hassle, but the situation becomes much worse when you have 2 bags. To help ease the pain of security, keep liquids and electronics like laptops in your backpack, this way you can keep your carry on closed and the only real extra step you have to do is put it on the conveyer belt.
When studying abroad, the last thing you should be worried about is packing. Hopefully these tips can help you! Good luck!
