What to Pack, Buy, or Ship

Me with my little sister, who I already miss!

Packing for four to five months is daunting! At first I was quite afraid to pack, but I started by making a series of lists that I just kept adding to for several weeks. That helped to get the ball rolling.

For anyone it would be fairly easy to decide what is best to pack and what to purchase once on foreign soil. However, I have a few tips on what's better to pack vs. buy, particularly if your destination is London!

• Lots of clothes plus a decent amount of scarves and shoes and a little big of jewelry. Unless you plan to do a lot of shopping. But trust me, as an exchange student on a budget, I do not have money for buying lots of clothes! I also hate having just a few clothes to choose from in the gloomy winter months. I packed about two weeks' worth of completely different winter outfits, plus three fancy-ish dresses that can be dressed down. I also packed a bikini and a few spring/summer clothes because they're just so small and light I think I'll be going to Greece or Portugal. Clothes that can be worn in more than one season are great to choose over clothing for specific seasons if you want to pack less.

• Appliances that you cannot live without. I bought a small blender just for this trip, because I am a vegan and I like to eat a lot of raw food. I cannot live without my smoothies and natural ice cream and this semester I will try making baked vegetable soups and dips. I bought one with a North American plug because I didn't want to use it just for four months.
     I also brought a mini travel hairdryer that changes voltages, a curling wand and a flatiron. Unfortunately my flatiron doesn't work properly here, so I have to do some research on converters. Another thing to pack is adapters because they are generally cheaper a home I've found, but they are easy to find here.

• Mini products such as floss, mouthwash, lotion, body wash, shampoo and conditioner. Full size versions of these items can be heavy and take up lots of space, so buy small sizes or transfer product into smaller containers and buy full sizes when you get there.

• Full sizes of your makeup. It may be difficult to find what you need and there are no Sephora stores in London. :(

• For those who wear contacts, a sufficient supply as well as enough contact solution.

• A few feminine hygiene products at least for the first month, to be prepared!

• Photos of your friends and family. It's nice to have physical pictures in the room. I didn't bring any because I thought that having photos on Instagram and Facebook would be enough, but I do miss them and having their familiar faces around all the time would be a great comfort. So my mom is kindly going to send me some photos in a care package soon! (I have a bulletin board where I will post them and I'm sure that every dorm comes with one, but if yours does not they are fairly cheap to buy and there are some very pretty picture frames to be found here, even for £1 at Poundland.)

• Some snacks such as granola bars to have handy especially for the first few days while you are settling in and sight seeing before school starts, just to have on hand, in case. I also took some other food from home that we had a lot of such as organic teas, Himalayan sea salt and coconut oil.

• I would recommend packing a warm and cozy blanket in your carry-on to use on the plane because it has been proven before that many airlines do not wash their blankets, (I don't find them very cozy anyway) and that way you could also use it abroad.

• School supplies that you don't want to buy again, as long as it isn't too heavy. I would recommend at least bringing a USB and several pens and pencils if you have plenty at home because why buy more?

• An obvious one is something that will remind you of home/you can't live without. I brought a small fuzzy pillow that I hug when I sleep and I can't really sleep without. It could be a stuffed animal, a piece of decor that isn't too heavy, a certain type of dish, etc.

• Other necessities that you may not want to repurchase including an umbrella, water bottle, travel mug, headphones, slippers, bath robe and a small journal.

• Cosmetic products such as lotion, body wash, shampoo, conditioner hand soap etc. You can find great products for awesome prices. They even have good brands at Poundland! In the small town outside of London where I'm living there are so many convenience and drugstores with a huge variety of choices and deals.

• Decor for your room. I love Primark because I've gotten some really pretty things there for quite cheap. A candle with a silver glass holder (£1), a vanilla diffuser (£1), a little "LOVE" sign (£1) and forty fairy lights (£2.5) as well as six batteries (£1). I also purchased an amazing hamper for very cheap at Primark, and a very cheap bath mat from Wilko. Things that I didn't really need include a pen holder and fabric coaster from MUJI, still very inexpensive.

• Notebooks and other similar school supplies. I even bought my new agenda book here.

• Hangers for your clothes. I got two packs of 10 for £1 each.

You could also ship to your accommodation before you arrive, which is a great idea so that you don't have to carry a lot of supplies from the store to your place, and if you don't have room in your suitcase for your bedding. I did have room in my large suitcase for bedding (that was very inexpensive and I wouldn't feel guilty parting with if I have to when I leave) but in England it's so cheap!

To ship supplies, you have to make sure that someone will be at your accommodation to accept and hold your package for you. Be careful about allotting time for this because you don't want to be waiting for important things such as your duvet since you will need it on the first night. If you will be staying around London, Wilko and Matalan are great stores to order from, and you get free shipping if you spend about £50.

Things that are a great idea to ship are:

• Bedding including pillows, duvet, duvet cover and pillowcases and a protective mattress cover for hygienic reasons.

• Hamper. Depending on the type you get, it make take up a lot of space and be difficult to take home. You could definitely buy a fabric folding hamper once you arrive, but if you want a traditional plastic one I would recommending ordering it.

• Dishes including glasses, mugs, plates, bowls, spoons, forks and knives, pots, pans, cutting board, cooking knives, grater, strainer/colander, and a vegetable peeler.

• Towels. I would say you need one or two hand towels, four bath towels and two or three face cloths.

• A bath mat or two for your sink, toilet and shower.


I hope this was a helpful post! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at claudiamariademcak@gmail.com

Good luck,