What I wish I had known to pack before I went on my Study Abroad/Erasmus.

Congratulations! You have agreed to one of the best years of your life. No exaggeration, just a fact. But you might be asking yourself, where do I start?! What do I pack for a whole year in another country?

Chances are this isn’t the normal move out of home from the summer, you might be going by plane, bus, train to get there and have limited space for luggage. Maybe take this move as a chance to finally become that minimalist traveller you have always wanted to be… or not?! I sure didn’t, but this post will hopefully give you some sound advice so that you don’t make the mistakes I did!

A picture of me fresh to Prague- before unpacking!

Packing

The basics:

Passport, EHIC (still valid until 31st December 2020), Insurance, bank info and you can’t go wrong. Just check you have everything your Uni recommends you bring!

But here are my main 3 tips for packing…

1. THEY HAVE SHOPS IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE GOING TO

• Shampoo, Conditioner, toothpaste, bodywash, lotion, whatever heavy liquids you might want to bring… they will probably have it.
• Stationary is also available where you are going, don’t do what I did and bring an actual box of pens and notebooks etc. It will take up too much space/weight and you will only use half, really.

2. YOU ARE PROBABLY GOING HOME FOR XMAS

• So, pack what you’ll need for up to Xmas, then when you head home, swap/take home items you don’t need.

3. THEY HAVE WASHING MACHINES WHERE YOU’RE GOING- probably.

• Lay out everything you think you’ll need, then take AT LEAST a quarter away.
• I would probably recommend packing enough for 2 weeks- because really, that is how often you should be doing your washing (minimum)- make your parents proud!

Full disclosure: I was very lucky in the fact that my parents were kind enough to loan me their luggage space when I travelled to Prague. So I was able to use 3x 23kg bags to bring my stuff and even then that was pushing it. Take my advice, you really don’t need that much! And now the predicament of how I am going to get most of this stuff home… which will be interesting… It will most likely end up in a “What I left behind in Prague” post, so stay tuned for that!

Mobile Options

• 3 Roaming is genius.
  • Only downside is that it costs to call abroad, but not a total issue, Whatsapp is your best friend.
• I have also heard good things from EE so just check before you leave!

Banking

• Revolut
  • This online bank is great. It provides you with a British (or home country) and International bank account, so you can pay your rent etc by just transferring money within your account at the exact exchange rate at the time of changing. This worked great for me as I had to pay my rent in CZK. It makes travelling easier too, no need to use bad exchange offices when you arrive in a new county, just find a reliable ATM and get your cash out there.
• Credit card- Aqua Card.
  • I have a credit card as an emergency backup if somewhere won’t take my Revolut.
  • This card has a maximum and is made for people without a credit rating. Just don’t forget to PAY IT OFF IN FULL (As Martin Lewis always says).
  • Consult someone with better knowledge than me… I asked my brother (A.K.A my financial adviser) and Dad

Medicine and Health

Don’t forget to pack your Meds!! If you are on a prescription medicine that you will need while you are abroad see your GP before hand and tell them you are going away. Chances are they will be able to give you an extended prescription- e.g. a 6 month prescription for the pill you’re on rather than 3 month- it’s just practical.

Furthermore, take your whole health into consideration. You’re an adult, you can make your own decisions, but your sexual health is just as important as anything else. If you think there is a chance of a foreign romance *Raises eyebrows* be safe, no shame, pack some condoms. Case closed, move on.

Miscellaneous

• Take some small things that will make your home a home
  • Photos of loved ones etc. It is light weight and can really help to combat homesickness!

• Let loved ones know the address of where you are staying and maybe you can be pen pals! There is no better feeling than receiving a card in the post from someone who has taken the time to write to you! In a world of social media, it can really help you to take a moment a reflect on what you are doing right there and then. (My pen-pal is my Grandma!)
• If you have a small speaker, bring it with you! If you are the owner of the speaker you will automatically have friends. Just please be respectful of your neighbours, NO-ONE LIKES TO BE WOKEN BY ABBA AT 3AM.
• No need to bring loads of adaptors, just bring a couple then one multi-gang plug for your electrics! If you do need an adaptor I highly recommend this one:
  • https://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HCXLQRC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Locate your nearest IKEA. In Prague it’s in Prague 5. A lifesaver.

Most importantly, really don’t worry about it. Working out how things work is all part of the fun when you move abroad and truly it is not much different to when you moved into University.

I really hope this has helped someone with their first steps… please follow me on Instagram for live life updates or on this blog for more posts coming like this!

If you know anyone who would benefit from this info, please feel free to share!

Let me know what you want to know!

All my love, Izzy xxx