What to Pack When Studying Abroad in the USA
What to pack when studying abroad in the USA can be a challenging question – especially as a student-athlete. After choosing the college, you should think about you luggage. I am studying abroad for two years and learned on my journey what the essentials are and what to leave at home or buy in the U.S.
Clothes
First, only pack things you also really use daily at home. Do not pack jeans that you feel uncomfortable with. You will not end up wearing it in the U.S. either. However, pack more comfortable clothes than outgoing clothes because in the U.S. it is normal to go to school or college in leggings or even sweatpants. Also, bring slides you can use to leave your dorm, to go to sports games, or even just to wear them in your room. It helps a lot to have them and they are essential for your U.S. trip. Do not bring a lot of hoodies. They take away a lot of space in the suitcase and you will end up buying a lot of sweaters and hoodies there.
Depending on if you are playing a sport in high school or college or not, you should bring a corresponding amount of sports clothes. I play tennis and my college only provides me with 3 shirts and one skirt that I can use for match days. Thus, I bring all my leggings and a lot of sweatpants but barely any jeans to the U.S. because I can use the leggings to go to class and for practice.
Bedding
Regarding the bedding I recommend buying everything there or even ordering it before to the place where you will stay. Before I arrived at my college campus, I ordered everything to my mailbox so that will have everything for my dorm without having to go shopping after landing.
Shampoo etc.
Every time I am traveling to the U.S. I bring a lot of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste etc. for the upcoming semester, because at least Germany’s prices are way lower in the drugstore. You will get to know the prices in the U.S. fast and understand what I mean. The only thing I do not buy in Germany is laundry soap, just because it is super heavy and would take up too much space in my suitcase.
Finally, no matter if you plan to visit a high school, college, or university in the U.S., you will need your laptop. Do not forget it. Also, keep in mind that the U.S. might have a different charging adapter than your country.
After deciding what to pack when studying abroad in the USA, it is also important to decide how to bring everything. How many suitcases, carry-ons etc. should you book?
Bringing the things to the USA
How many suitcases you take always depends on how much you want to take with you and how long you plan on staying in the U.S. In general, I recommend to book two checked bags for studying abroad. Personally, I always book two checked bags, and bring my suitcase and a big tennis bag. The tennis bag is just needed because I am playing college tennis where I need a backpack. If this is not the case for you, take a normal second suitcase or a big duffle bag. Then, I also bring two carry-ons although you do not really need to book an extra one. I bring my college bag pack as one carry-on, while my second carry-on is a small sport bag where I bring my tennis rackets in.
What not to pack
There are no specific things that I do not recommend you to brining. However, you should consider that you are not allowed to bring every item to the USA. If you click here, you get to the official government website that lists what items are prohibited.
Not only the US itself prohibits things to bring, but each college also has their own rules on what is allowed to have and what not. E.g. I cannot have candles in my dorm at my college. You should inform yourself about the rules at your college/university. Here you get to the website of my college, where you can find what you should bring and leave at home when you attend Nichols College.
