Packing a suitable suitcase

Garam Masala, inexpensive Indian edition textbooks or that cuddly one eared bear you sleep with every night? When it comes to fitting your belongings into the tiny allotted baggage space, we sometimes need to make difficult and heart wrenching decisions.

Packing for education abroad is a complex and new process – one which needs to be carefully planned and executed. Most of your suitcase belongings should depend on where you are going to live and how your schedule is going to look, but with a checklist and some careful research, you can maximize your baggage allowance.

Spices: The basic kit

A lot of us make the mistake of either carrying way too much food or too little food and end up regretting not packing that handy mini-packet of curry masala. The smartest thing to do is always have a small handy-bag with your basics – Garam Masala, a sealed packet of ginger-garlic paste, a few cumin seeds. With this you can improvise and make most currys and Indian items. To be on the safer side, carry one to two packs of ready made subzi and probably two packets of instant soup to make sure that you are not left stranded in a food emergency.

Planning ahead

If you are a person who thrives on Indian food but going to a non-Indian hub like Arkansas, Nevada, etc. then make sure you stock up on your essentials. It always makes sense to google map your university and see how far the nearest Indian store is and if there is public transport to get there easily. For Srinath Sabapathy, a student at Yale Univesity, the closest Indian store is at Orange, two cities and a good distance away and it is usually very hard to make more than one trip a month. He notes, “If I knew this before I landed, I would have definitely stocked up on more masalas and probably even some dry papad and pickle.” For Sheila Vishwanath, a student at Harvard University, life is a lot simpler: “I have an Indian store right by my bus stop and it is so convenient; I wish I had not wasted all that space on picking up the various powders and ready mixes, as I could have bought everything here!”

Clothes: Basics

For diehard fashionistas, nothing is more delightful than a chance to shop for an entire wardrobe abroad. However, while packing for education abroad, the easiest motto is “lesser is better.” In most cases, the best thing to carry would be 2-3 pairs of good fitting jeans and a few of your favourite shirts/ tops. If you are big into brands, branded clothes are much cheaper in the United States (on sale) than in India and carry fashions more relevant to the current trends in that city. Of course, do carry a few Indian outfits, as it is always lovely to share a piece of your culture with your international classmates and you will love the number of compliments you get on your stately sherwani or gorgeous salwar kameez.

Planning Ahead

If you are heading to a cold place with harsh winters (think Chicago, Boston, Michigan, etc.) then the best way to buy your winter clothes is in the United States. While it is always good to plan ahead sometimes, Indian students find it hard to fathom how cold it will really be and most of the thermals you get in India (especially the south) do not do a very good job of insulating you. Of course do pack in that pretty pink sweater or that school sweatshirt you adore but remember winter clothes are bulky and heavy, so carefully consider if it is worth that extra space just to save a few hundred rupees.

Books and essentials

It is a well-known fact that Indian edition textbooks are always cheaper than ones published abroad. If you want a head start on a couple of classes, it makes a lot of sense to purchase a few textbooks locally but always check the prices on amazon.com before you take the plunge. Sometimes, used textbooks are knocked down to as low as $1 making them much cheaper than buying in India and you also save the weight in your suitcase.

If you are in the habit on taking down notes, then a dozen ball pens will definitely be a wise purchase, they occupy very little space and at Rs. 5 a pen you just eat the price tag. Stock up on pencils, sharpeners and other stationary essentials, not only to save money but also the hassle of finding a stationary store and making that extra trip.

Utensils, like pots, mugs and pans are usually about the same price in the United States (a little more expensive in Europe) no matter where you buy them, but again the question of logistics to find a store makes it a lot harder. A good plan would be to take a few essentials – a mug, a plate, a couple of spoons and one small pan so that you are not stranded until you get to a store, but plan to buy your basic kitchen stuff at a local Primark, Walmart or Target.

Moving your roots can be a life changing decision and sometimes is intimidating. Remember to pack something comforting and a few family pictures to tide you through the initial days of your new life and before you know it you will feel like your new University is home!