INDIA TO UK STUDENT PACKING GUIDE
It’s that time of year again when Indian UK bound students are eager to fly for their Jan intake and are frantically looking at making Tier 4 visa appointments, living arrangements etc. and wondering what to take with them and what to leave behind.
So here is our time-tested UK Student packing list. It’s not so much a list as a compilation of what our students feedback has taught us over the years.
Please take a look and we really hope this makes it easy for you to do a smart packing instead of panic packing.
Medicines (Entire first aid kit + fever, pain, allergy, diarrhoea, acidity, antibiotic, cough and cold, and special prescription medicines if any needed for diabetes, asthama etc, WITH PRESCRIPTION)
Face masks (n95), Sanitiser in small bottles, Face shield.
Feminine hygiene products
Spare eyeglasses / lens, goggles and specific medicated skin care brands if u use any (1-2 month supply)
Keep a metal water bottle and one foldable/collapsible water bottle
Household Essentials – Nail clippers, scissors(small), toiletries only for initial 2 months in small disposable bottles, hot water bag, sewing set, hangars, safety pins, ear plugs, q tips,
Beard/Hair trimmers, hairdryer, straightener, shoe polish with brush, hair brush, towels 2 big 2 small, bed sheets 2 sets with pillow case, lockable small pouch or box for valuables, shaving creams, deos (1 or 2),
Electronic devices – UK plug convertor (2-3), data bank, battery bank, laptop preferably new , cell phone, spare charging cables, Bluetooth speaker, Bt headset, rechargeable batteries, extension cable, LAN wire
Get international driving license even if u don’t want to keep a car. Its valid for 1 yr and you might want to rent a car and driver around the beautiful English countryside.
Leave some signed checks/papers with your parents for any emergency needs for accounts in your name.
Do not carry too many clothes as you can get better option there for regular and winter wear both. Just carry essentials and things that are multifunction like high quality jeans that can be paired with formal and informal both. Regular and warm leggings, hoodies.
Heavy Duty Multipurpose Jacket (you will be landing in peak winters), Formal Coat, Shoes (1 formal leather, 1 sports,1 rain proof boots,1 slip-ons, 1 flip-flops/chappals)
Formal Cotton Shirts (White) Trousers (Grey, Navy, Black)
Formal Dresses/Skirts
Spare Socks, 2 pair of warm gloves, muffler/Scarves (Woolen) , thermal inners, spare under garments, a bath robe (u will be sharing bathroom with other housemates most probably, u will need it)
Suits/formal Indian wear for any special events
A good formal watch
Carry all your important documents in your carry-on bag only and keep it with u at all times. Passport, education certificates etc. must be saved on cloud as well.
Get you dental check-up done and get any cavities addressed here itself.
Do not carry any food item which has banned substance like poppy seeds (normally used in indian sweets like laddus). Learn to cook simple meals like poha, aloo paratha, khichdi, pulao, noodles, pasta, and a few of your favorite dishes (so you are home sick for people but not food).
Carry basic masalas like haldi, rai, zeera, dhania, lal mirch, garam masala, sambar powder, chole masala, sabzi masala, hing, kala namak, chai masala, noodles masala, ghee triple sealed, small cooker, 1 dinner plate, 1 big bowl, 1 set of spoon, knife, fork, few katoris (small bowls) and few glasses.
If you take achar take it in small bottles triple sealed, carry no more than 1/2 kg of dal, chole, rajma, 1kg rice. Don’t carry aata, you will get premade rotis/tortillas/breads etc.
Carry chai ki channi, jharia, sansi, chimta and belan. Few ready to eat meals for emergencies. Dry fruits and long lasting mithais like kaju katli for energy.
Passport size pictures on neutral background (20) u will need them to get various id cards, connections etc.
A folding umbrella, it rains all the time, small insulated lunch box, bathroom mug, in case u r too concerned of using toilet paper carry a hand-held hygiene faucet … many are available on amazon. It makes transition easier.
Stationary is expensive there but its heavy to carry from here. Still u can carry few things like register bundles, your fav pens, paper clips, stapler with pins, thumb tacks, any necessary course textbooks etc.
All-important contacts and addresses of UK and India on a printout and on cloud.
Make sure u have cash upto 500 pounds on u in small bills. If u r using credit card, ensure its working internationally.
Small locks, cross body / chest bag for carrying important docs
A good quality backpack. Neck pillow. Eye mask.
So this is it friends. You may add and delete as per your convenience. Do let us know your own experiences and we will add/delete from this.
Bon Voyage or rather, Cheerio