No matter what your major is, no matter what school you attend, no matter where in the world you wish to go, study abroad is an amazing program that everyone should try at least once. By studying abroad, you get to experience many different, wonderful opportunities that no one else does. These experiences also give you an edge with jobs on your resume when you start your job search. So to begin your study abroad trip, you have to start at the beginning: packing.
Suitcase. When choosing a suitcase for this type of trip, you'd be surprised to know that you should not use the biggest one around. The smaller the better. If everything you need can fit in a small to medium sized suitcase, then use that one. The limited space will also help you see you may not need some things you thought you did. If possible, like if you have a set, use a smaller suitcase to hold everything and then put that into a larger suitcase. This way, once you get to your destination you have a whole empty suitcase for souvenirs to bring home.
Clothes. You will not need to pack a month or a semester's worth of clothes. If you are going over the summer, you could really get away with about a week's worth of clothes. Just wash your clothes every week; plus you will be purchasing some clothes from where you are anyway. If you are going for a semester, about three weeks to a month of clothes would be good. Again you will be purchasing clothes while there.
Weather. To go along with what was said above, make sure you look at the weather before you leave. If you are traveling in the summer, you will want clothes that breathe and don't hold heat. If you are going in the winter, then depending on where you're at, you will want warmer clothes that layer easily.
Money. Make sure to check what the currency is for where you're going. The last thing you want is to convert your money to euros and then get to London and find out that you need pounds. You can talk to your bank about this and order the currency there before you leave. Do not wait until you're at the airport, because it is more expensive there. Get the money before you leave so then you have it with you once you arrive.
Food. No matter where you're traveling to, you will want to pack some non-perishable foods to take with you. This will be nice to have for breakfast on days you don't want to spend money. It will also be good for when you're traveling on your weekends and you don't want to purchase a lot of food. Some good foods to think about include granola bars and Pop Tarts, but be careful because these could break.
School. Since this is a study abroad trip, you can't forget to pack your school supplies. You don't need to pack everything, but you will need to pack a few things. Pencils and pens, notebooks, books for classes, and your computer.
No matter where you're going or how long you'll be there, these tips could really come in handy. The most important thing though is to study hard and have fun!
