Comments on: How to Pack for a Semester Abroad

By: Smart packing tips for study and travel abroad | Your Study Abroad Blog

Smart packing tips for study and travel abroad | Your Study Abroad Blog — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:19:47 +0000

[...] MatadorAbroad’s “How to pack for a semester” guide Their article focuses on students who want to travel light and maybe backpacking around a bit. Quite short list only the necessary things. They highlight not to bring laptop with you, but I think a light netbook still can squeeze in the list. [...]

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By: Suzy

Suzy — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 05:34:58 +0000

One thing you should never forget when going camping is the camera as it is said here. It will only be the evidence of your greatest adventures someday and it will be a proof that the world is the greatest place to live in. Hope you guys agree with that!

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By: jjj

jjj — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:38:32 +0000

Yeah I thought leaving your laptop is a bit silly. As everyone has noted, there’s so many versatile uses for it! But a notebook is great to put in a purse. The map you can download from the embassy or the airport will probably be the most up to date. Also I do not like nature, I don’t hike or camp- so anything pertaining to that won’t be necessary.

I’ll be heading to japan this fall ‘10 and I thought my backpack would make a great carry on as it can be squished down or popped open while still stylish ;D. However buying shoes and clothes there isn’t that practical at least for me since I’m 5′6 and wear a size 10 shoe. Uh there will be no shoe buying for me!!! That just means I’ll limit a lot of other superfluous items (jewelry, sweaters, purses, etc) in my suitcase while focusing on items I know I can’t buy there like shoes, perm, certain lotions for my delicate skin, W30L29 jeans…

As for researching the place, I don’t think one should research too heavily but instead look forward to what your fellow students will draw you towards. I find tourist traps are typically just that- tourist traps. How great is it when a friend brings you somewhere noone else knows or you wander into a strange but oddly perfect situation? Definitely check out dangerous areas to avoid instead.

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By: yourstudyabroad blog

yourstudyabroad blog — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:05:28 +0000

Hi there,
Wow it is a nice page and even better post! Enjoyed reading it, might quote some in my blog too (with reference of course). Keep up the good work!

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By: nik

nik — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:16:46 +0000

Oh wow! Useful advice. Although I’m still in secondary school and have not learned the joys of traveling I’ll keep this in mind (although I will also heed the advice from other’s comments) if I ever go abroad!

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By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:08:59 +0000

I did a semester abroad for Spring ‘10- I definitely wouldn’t recommend leaving the laptop behind! Laptops can be a hassle to lug around, and of course you don’t want to spend hours a day on the computer when you’re abroad, but it’s necessary to have, especially if you’re a student. If you have the $300 to spare, get a netbook for travel! It’s perfect for toting around, I basically just used it for internet, writing papers, and uploading photos. Also, if anything were to happen to it, losing a cheaper computer is better than losing a Mac or something. They also only weigh 2-3 lbs which is nice when you have to follow weight regulations on European airlines. I’ve seen both Ryanair and EasyJet deny boarding to people who were over the weight limit with their luggage.

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By: Rosie

Rosie — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:07:06 +0000

As someone who’s going abroad this coming fall, I found this article incredibly informative and helpful. One thing I disagree with however, is the suggestion to leave the computer behind. The university I’ll be studying at does not provide students, study abroad or otherwise, with personal computers meaning that without my personal laptop I would be forced to compete for a computer in the library… not exactly something I want to experience especially during end of term crunch time.

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By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Mon, 31 May 2010 15:42:25 +0000

Make sure you have a ready form of communication avaiable at all times – you are going to need to keep in touch while you are studying. From personal experience, calling cards can be sometimes hard to find and most cases, very expensive and limited. If you are thinking about taking your cell phone, I would advise investing in a low cost prepaid one – Net10 is a great example since they also offer an international calling plan with no additional contract. Their calls are .15 a minute to over 50 countries and many of them are in Europe – they also have great plans specific to Mexico and Canada if you have a lot of friends and family there. Best of all, Net0 is prepaid so they are a prefect company to have over the summer and you have no commitment to stay – and the phones start as low as $19. Take it from me, staying in touch is a must and Net10 will save you loads.

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By: Yonatan

Yonatan — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 04:51:37 +0000

For Japan, I would skip the backpack altogether and instead buy a cheap but nice looking overnight shoulder bag once you arrive. Since Japanese people don’t use backpacks for anything but mountain climbing (even students only carry messenger bags), it looks weird and gets in the way on packed trains, tiny restaurants, and G-d forbid if you try entering a narrowly-lined store aisle with one. In Japan, small and compact is king.

Also, be aware that Japanese people (same goes for Korea for that matter) tend to dress very nicely, so if you are relatively short, try shopping for clothing over here. If you are 5′ 9″ or taller, you may have to bring your own clothing from home depending on your sizes, but remember not to dress like you are on a jungle adventure. A baggy t-shirt and old jeans will make you feel like you wore a sweat-suit to a tuxedo party after seeing almost everyone else dressed in slacks, skirts, etc. If you do bring jeans from home, they should be in good shape and a little on the trendy-side. And make sure your shoes can be taken off and put back on in only a handful of seconds- it’s awkward to have to sit down on the floor in the middle of a restaurant to unlace your hiking boots when everyone’s trying to step around you or impatiently waiting for you to get out of their way.

All of this seems materialistic and fashion-heavy, but it’s really just a simple matter of Japan being a very presentation-conscious society. Taxi drivers wear immaculate uniforms, simple cheap gifts are wrapped to look as if they contain treasures, and your personal appearance is judged to be an indicator of your personality and attitude towards other people, your job, etc. Even if you dress very simply, keep it clean and sharp.

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By: MIndy

MIndy — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:39:30 +0000

I agree with most items on the list, but I strongly disagree with not bringing your laptop. For me at least, when I studied abroad in Australia, we would have to hike a few miles uphill to the computer lab in order to get anything done (including school work). I can’t even imagine what it would have been like had I not brought my laptop with me. I used it for everything from being in touch with my family through skype, writing papers from my room, uploading pictures, and blogging. However, when I’m traveling and not on campus, I don’t bring it with me and try to stay away from the internet cafes unless I have to plan trips and book flights.

One thing that I really regret was not keeping a journal. It might seem petty at the moment, but you’ll be glad you have a sentimental item to hold on to forever. If you’re going to blog on cyber space, make sure you’re detailed on consistent.

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