Packing
Just because youre excited about being an international student in the USA doesnt mean youre ready to leave your home country. First things first you have to pack.
What you should do to prep
Check the luggage allowance on your flight and the cost of paying extra for additional suitcases if necessary. It might be worth it, but it also might be worth leaving some shirts behind so you can instead stock up on new ones with the name of your school.
Though you may plan to open an American bank account or credit card or link to your foreign accounts fairly soon after arriving, doing so may be time consuming or complicated. Make sure to bring enough cash with you to cover your first months expenses as a backup.
Take photos of important documents such as your passport, marriage certificates, medical records, and academic transcripts and their English translations and save them in your email so you can access them anytime. But also make photocopies (yes, with paper!) in case your phone battery dies, you dont have internet access, or theres some other technology failure.
Critical documents, medicines, jewelry, and other important or expensive items should be carried in your carry-on luggage. Your carry-on bag should also include one change of clothing in case your flight is delayed or cancelled.
Label your luggage inside and out with your name and your schools name and address. If your luggage is lost in transit, this will help the airline return it to you.
When you arrive at your school, youll still be missing numerous items that we use in our daily lives, like towels, pens, and lightbulbs. Theyre not worth bringing from your home country, but they will definitely be needed.
What you should actually pack
- Passport, plane tickets, and Form I-20.
- Money, credit cards, and checkbook. Make sure you also know all your passwords to banking or other online financial accounts so you can access them in the USA.
- National and international drivers licenses.
- A list of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of key contacts, both in the USA and in your home country.
- Clothing, including shoes, pajamas, coats and other cold-weather gear, bathing suits, and jewelry and other accessories.
- Chargers for all electronic devices.
- Adapters for all electronic devices bring more than you think youll need because the USA primarily sells adapters from American plugs and not to American outlets. Also keep in mind that the 110-voltage level in the USA may be different to the one in your home country.
- Books, including a dictionary and phrase book.
- Wall hangings or other personal items to use as decoration.