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Tips Beasiswa
Figuring Out What to Pack
By Nataviguides.com
How can you possibly know what you’ll need for the next
six to twelve months of your life? What sorts of clothes
will you want to wear? What if they don’t have Power
Bars where you’re going and you just gotta have one?
Here are some useful tips.
Packing can be particularly stressful because it brings
to the surface all of the unknowns of your impending
trip. You really can’t predict what will happen and it’s
not possible to bring everything you’ll need. Think
about it practically and do your best. Remember that, in
many situations, you’ll be able to buy necessities in
your host country, especially if your destination is a
relatively stable and developed nation.
Our main suggestion is to pack only as much as you’ll
realistically need during your stay abroad. You’re not
really going to wear ten pairs of shoes or read a
suitcase-full of your favorite books, so don’t bring
them. Be practical. What’s the weather like in your host
country during the time you’ll be there? Make sure to
bring clothes that match the climate as well as your own
personal style. Do you plan on hiking or camping?
Consider hiking boots and a sleeping bag. Can’t live
without your hair dryer? Find out if you’ll need to
bring a power adapter.
“Ziploc bags are your best friend. You can use them
to bring just enough toiletries for the length of your
trip. If you want to go on weekend trips, get a
gallon-size Ziploc, fill it with everything you need,
and your packing will be quick and easy.”
History major,
Study abroad in Mexico and Great Britain,
Dartmouth College ‘98
If you own a laptop computer, you might consider
bringing it along: You can watch bootlegged Simpsons
episodes on the plane, instant-message your friends from
your new apartment, and write a term paper under a palm
tree in the local botanical gardens. While many
universities abroad have excellent computer facilities
and 24-hour access, others don’t, and having your own
setup could be a very good thing. At the same time,
remember that you’re bringing an expensive and bulky
piece of equipment with you, and you’ll have to take
care of it for the duration of your stay. Make sure that
you’ll have somewhere safe to store it if you go
traveling, that you’ll be able to deal with the extra
luggage pounds, and that your insurance will cover it if
it gets damaged or stolen.
If packing gets overwhelming, it never hurts to make a
list. Even if you hate doing this, make one anyway—you
can rip it to shreds when you’re done packing.
DON’T SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH! If you need to bring any type
of medication, make sure to have the entire supply
you’ll need while you’re away. (Claritin in rural
Siberia? Not likely.) Also, be sure to carry with you
the necessary labels and prescriptions for each
medicine. Customs officers might get awfully suspicious
if they find plastic bags full of unlabelled pills in
your possession.
Always keep all of your essentials—money, medicine,
documents, picture of your significant other, teddy bear
from when you were five, etc.—close to you when you
travel, both initially and once you arrive in your
country. You never know when your checked luggage will
end up on another continent or your bags will suffer
some other awful fate.
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