Student Packing Essentials

To all those who have done study abroad and lived in student accommodations, I was wondering what you packed in your bags and what you shipped if anything. What did you need right away, and what did you wish you had brought in your suitcase instead of something else?

I'm just wondering because when I get to London, I was told I should only back as much as I can carry myself because for the first week I will be staying in a hotel or hostel and doing orientations (part of my program). No one will be available to assist me in carrying anything. So I'm wondering what I should have packed as space will be very limited. I won't be able to pack two large rolling suitcases, probably just one and a medium sized duffle bag plus my carry on.

Any thoughts?

When I did study abroad in the states, I took 2 fairly large suitcases plus a carry-on backpack. I didn't ship anything because a) I had nothing that needed shipping and b) if I had, it would have been expensive and would also have taken several weeks to arrive (I shipped a heavy box back to the UK at the end of the year -it cost $75 to send and 6 weeks to get to my house).

In my suitcases, I packed mostly clothes/shoes and toiletries, plus a couple of textbooks and some of my previous class notes to help with my studies. I even managed to fit a thin duvet in too, but had to leave it behind at the end of the year. I accumulated a lot of stuff (clothes/DVD's/random stuff etc.) during the year, so ending up getting my parent to take another two bags back home for me when they came to visit at Easter.

If you can fit everything you need into one bag, I think that would be easiest for you. You can buy things like stationary/paper/study materials etc. when you're here, so I wouodn't worry too much about those. I personally wouldn't advise bringing electrical goods that plug into the mains (i.e. hairdryer) because of the voltage difference - you'd need to user a US-UK adapter with it - and if it means freeing up some space in your luggage it's probably best not to bother with them; you can buy them easily over here anyway.

Hope this helps a little

didn't ship anything both times I moved, just two full suitcases and a carry-on (the second time.)  The first time I had one large suitcase and a large duffel bag.  If you are going to be carting your stuff around yourself, I would recommend a large, heavy-duty backpack as your second "suitcase."

my advice-
Carry your heavy winter coat with you on the plane.  You will feel silly doing this in August/September when it's still hot, but it will save a lot of luggage space.

Pare your belongings down to a bare minimum.  Don't take very many books (if any)- maybe 2 or 3 at most.

Clothes are the most important things to pack- no matter how much you bring, you will wish you brought more.

No more than 4-5 pairs of shoes (stick to the basics.)

No toiletries except maybe trial sizes to get you through the first couple of days, and any specific product that you can't live without and won't be able to find in the UK. Keep makeup, cosmetics and jewelry to a minimum.

Space bags are a lifesaver.

No electronics except laptops, iPods/mp3 players, PDAs, and mobile phones (if your mobile can work in the UK.)

bring things like a swimsuit, strapless bra, sports bra etc- things you'd take for granted in the US even if you didn't wear them often.

Don't bring stationery/school supplies- buy them in the UK.

Do bring something that reminds you of home- I have a music notes blanket/afghan that has been in my house for years. I brought it with me and I'm glad I did.

Pack at least one "going out on the town" outfit, and one "job interview" outfit.

Bring one towel with you (buy more when you get to the UK.) And a pair of flipflops (will come in handy in hostels and dorm bathrooms.)

That's all I can think of for now.

Thanks you guys! This has been a lot of help so far!

my advice-
Carry your heavy winter coat with you on the plane.  You will feel silly doing this in August/September when it's still hot, but it will save a lot of luggage space.

[...]

Space bags are a lifesaver.

I would have never thought of carrying my coat! I'm going to look so funny carrying my winter coat through the airport in Phoenix in September when it's still 100+ F, but I don't care if it allows me to pack more stuff!!

I was wondering about the space bags. Will they cut them open in customs or do they generally just sort through the bags to make sure you've not stuck any contriband of any kind in there? I'd hate to have them cut open some of the bags and then be stuck trying to cram everything that was once reduced into a bag without enough room!

great question I'd like to know the answer to as well if anyone has any experience with airlines and spacebags. I was planning on calling the airline and airport when it got closer to my moving over but if someone reading has the answer 

They had trouble stuffing my stuff back down into my suitcase after searching and i didnt have spacebags on my last trip to england... not a great experience watching your luggage come around on the baggage claim unzipped with your bra hanging out of it!!!

great question I'd like to know the answer to as well if anyone has any experience with airlines and spacebags. I was planning on calling the airline and airport when it got closer to my moving over but if someone reading has the answer 

They had trouble stuffing my stuff back down into my suitcase after searching and i didnt have spacebags on my last trip to england... not a great experience watching your luggage come around on the baggage claim unzipped with your bra hanging out of it!!!

Yeah I'm worried that they'll cut the space bags open (so they wouldn't be resealable) and then I'll be standing there trying to shove everything back in without any room to do so.

I think I'd be mortified if my underwear was hanging out of my bag! 

I have never moved to the UK to study for a year or so, but I'd say I've spent roughly 6 months in London (mostly) out of every year for the last few years.

I would say personally not to bring many clothes except for jeans and shoes and underwear.  (I also wear a lot of knits, so that makes bringing over 10 or more shirts pretty easy if I don't want to be buying things.)  You can find plenty of discount stores in the UK for everything else, and even cheap winter jackets that you then toss at the end of the season.  But good shoes are pricey here, you'll want your jeans that you know fit and look good on you, and of course you want the brands of underwear that are comfy on you already.  I'd recommend shoes to walk a lot in, dress shoes that will look good with dresses and pants, and shoes that will handle rain and mud. 

And I almost always take at least three pairs of those fuzzy socks in the winter.  I've never been able to find the exact right ones I like in the UK. 

Space bags are great, tho for the stuff you do take.  I've never had any problems with anyone cutting them open, maybe because I try not to pack anything that they'll feel they have to look at.

Mainly, the way I deal with it is to make sure I have my fiddle, my airline ticket, my laptop, my credit cards, my UK phone and SIM card, passport, and enough change for coffee, food, and such in the airport.  After that, I can buy anything else or have it sent to me.

This is what I brought when I went to the UK for 1 year on a study abroad program:

1 huge suitcase. It contained mostly clothes, about 3 pairs of shoes, plus a dozen or so of my favorite CDs (this was the mid-90s so we didn't have ipods, etc!! This can be modified for 2007!). I didn't own a laptop in 1995. I brought 2 or 3 books.

When I got there I bought all the toiletries, makeup, alarm clock, hair dryer, electric kettle, etc -- the miscellaneous comforts I needed, plus some little speakers that plugged into my portable CD player (again, it was the '90s!) so I could play music out loud in my room if I wanted to.

The idea of taking your coat on the plane is a good one - I just brought a jacket with me and bought a winter coat there, though.

At the end of the year I gave away most of my extra stuff to friends and took 2 suitcases back to the US with me.

I'd say - don't ship anything. Don't attempt to re-create your current surroundings in the UK. Take the bare minimum you will need to be comfotable and you will find that it's all you need. The holes will be filled in - as you discover them - by British stuff, which is both practical and fun.

I think I'd be mortified if my underwear was hanging out of my bag! 

As long as it's cute/sexy underwear you're fine 

Does anyone know a good place to buy space bags? Or did you just go with ebay?

Does anyone know a good place to buy space bags? Or did you just go with ebay?

I bought mine at Bed Bath and Beyond...

Does anyone know a good place to buy space bags? Or did you just go with ebay?

I've used regular ziplock type bags before and they worked just fine. You can't really use a vacuum on them, but if you buy the really big ones, you can cram stuff in there, sit on the bag, and seal it up. Works just the same and cheaper.

I used space bags when I moved over, and they worked really well.  However, one caveat - it's really, REALLY easy to pack over 50lbs in a suitcase/duffel when you're using space bags!  When I moved, BA's baggage allowance was still 70lbs, so I was okay - but I don't think such high limits exist anymore, sadly!

Oh that is a good point! I forgot about that little problem!

When I moved to the UK as a student, I had my parents mail me my winter coat(s) to save room in luggage.

If you don't want to use space bags, I'd definitely recommend rolling clothes instead of folding. I'm moving back next week and tried it for the first time last night, and I was pretty impressed with the difference.

When you pack your shoes, stuff something down into the shoe to take advantage of the empty space - a pair of undies, bottle of contact lense solution, etc. Sounds odd, but it also makes a difference.