Study Abroad Packing List

Here’s the honest truth about packing for your time abroad

Annah Horst

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9 min read

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Aug 28, 2017

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Things I was SO glad I packed, or wish I had:

• Leather jacket (great for day and night and always looks edgy).
• 2 pairs of blue jeans that you love and fit well, 1 pair of black pants/jeans, 1 pair of maroon pants, and 1 pair army green pants.
• 3 pairs of shorts — I had to buy shorts over there because I brought NONE so bring a few you like.
• 1 big cross body purse to hold lots of stuff for a long day (I suggest a heavy duty one with lots of pockets and zippers. Make sure it fits a water bottle and all your other stuff comfortably).

• 1 black small cross body (a godsend for short runs out, days where you don’t need a ton of stuff, and especially for nights out).
• 1–2 fancier dresses for nice dinners, presentations, opera shows, etc.
• 1 pair of small heels or strappy sandal (avoid crazy heels, comfort is the way to go).
• Umbrella — compact and great for weekends and people who brought raincoats were miserable when their shoes and pants still got wet (like still wear the raincoat too lol).
• Booties — great for day to night (life savers because they are very cute yet functional). I seriously wore my black booties with a small heel so much the bottoms broke off by the end of the trip and I had to leave them behind. RIP black booties.
• Boots — one black pair of combats or something like it is great for colder weather and goes with literally everything. I also brought brown riding boots which I didn’t wear all too often. Pretty much wore black shoes everyday of my life over there.
• Good walking shoes — MAJORLY IMPORTANT — I got over there and realized the only good walking shoes I had were neon Asics. People don’t wear exercise shoes that much and you’ll hate pictures that get ruined by a dorky outfit. Go for something comfy and classic. I bought Nike’s that were discreetly fashionable and comfortable.
• 1 pair of sandals (not flip-flops) — again comfort is key so I brought Birkenstocks. I love them so much I actually bought a pair in Rome.
• You can never have too much underwear. SERIOUSLY BRING A TON!
• 3 sports bras — good for comfort and working out.
• 2 strapless bras, 2 nude bras, 1 colored or black bra.
• 10 pairs of socks — you won’t need long ones, just go for ankles and athletic socks.
• 1 coat — the heaviness of the coat will depend on the season and place you are traveling so make arrangement and don’t make the mistake I did of bringing a coat that looked nice but was not warm
• 1 thin windbreaker — gets chilly and is not a bulky thing to pack. Good for hiking etc. I also bought a bomber jacket which was more stylish and I wore it EVERYWHERE:

• 1 thin black cardigan for layering/with tank tops etc.
• 1–2 sundresses or casual dresses.
• Sunglasses — such a huge thing in Europe to wear sunglasses, especially sunny places. Don’t bring your most expensive Ray Bans, buy cheap ones you don’t care about. If you lose them, you can buy another cheap pair from a street vendor.
• 2 bathing suits — I bought one and regretted not bringing more because I went to several tropical places and wanted a change in swimsuit so bring more if you plan on going to tropical climates
• 1 pair of warm gloves — this depends on the place you are going, but Europe gets real cold and numb fingers happen real quick so bring a nice pair, preferably mobile friendly ones.
• A beanie /hat — I brought my Love Your Melon hat, but found that it wasn’t always warm enough so think about the climates you will be in and determine what you will most likely need.
• A big blanket scarf — I used this a lot because of how cold it was when I got to Europe. It also functioned as a blanket and neck pillow so I never had to worry about bringing extra things on flights, etc.
• BUY A UNIVERSITY SWEATSHIRT THERE (DON’T BRING ONE) — you are going to want to buy apparel from your university anyways so there is no need to bring more sweatshirts from home. They just bulk up your luggage.
• 1–2 athletic half zips — great for running and hiking anywhere.
• 4 t-shirts/pj shirts — don’t overload on t-shirts, that’s not a part of European style. You will mainly use them for sleeping and working out.
• 1 pair of sweatpants — you will probably feel very awkward wearing sweatpants in public over there, unless they are very stylish, so one is enough.
• 4 pairs of pj shorts/athletic shorts
• 4 pairs of leggings — you especially might be tempted to bring a lot of leggings but European people are very put together on a daily basis. Wearing yoga pants and t-shirts made me uncomfortable out of the house and I felt very lazy and exposed unless I was going for a run. In short — yogas and t-shirts made me feel and look like an outsider. Go for a regular shirt and jeans for the day-to-day and you’ll fit right in.
• Basics for makeup — use what your skin is used to and bring extra because you will be there for a while and don’t want to start a whole new makeup routine, it’s stressful and your skin won’t like you.
• One eyeshadow pallet and normal eye routine makeup.
• Toothbrush (and charger if you have an electric one).
• Razor (most likely gonna want one from home).
• Makeup primer — you’ll be out for long days and nights and it’s nice not worrying about zits! Sometimes you are in a rush and it’s that or nothing, so it’s a good coverup and it moisturizes your face.
• Your fave face washes, moisturizers, deodorant, essential toiletries other than shampoo, conditioner, and body wash — don’t mess with your skin, acne is already bound to happen, and you’ll like using the brands that you know and trust when you’re away (plus you won’t have to bring them back).
• 2 washcloths — you will buy towels, etc. there but it is nice to at least have something to wash your face with after the plane ride.
• Makeup remover wipes — just get the travel size for your first flights, you can get them as soon as you get settled in to your new home.
• 1 big adapter set with multiple plugs (got mine from Amazon) — I also brought an extension chord adaptor which saved my life because i could plug in my laptop, phone, and go-pro all at the same time.
• YOU NEED AS MANY OF THESE THAT YOU CAN FIND. THEY’RE THE KEY TO LIFE ITSELF AND FULL BATTERIES
• CHARGERS for all your devices
• 2 thick sweaters (preferably colors that go with everything)
• A few long sleeves, tank tops, and regular shirts
• As many hair ties as you can — you will lose them and always need them
• Basics for jewelry — think stuff you can wear out for day and night. You’re not going to wear big statement necklaces and jewelry — they only go with a few things, take up too much room, and nobody wears them. I brought simple, dainty necklaces and a few pairs of earrings. You’re going to want to buy cool bracelets and jewelry while you’re there. I loved chokers for nights out.
• A DSLR (I have a Cannon) or other camera — throw it in your bigger cross body, especially for weekend trips. iPhone cameras just can’t get the quality pictures you’re going to want to have. My camera was with me 24/7. REMEMBER CAMERA CARDS!!! Stock up before you go so it’s less stressful and you don’t run out of card space.

• GoPro — if you so choose to bring one. Just an fyi making videos is a big time commitment, as I learned.
• Laptop (and charger)
• Headphones (life saver) — bring two sets because if you lose one, it might mean a 4 hour plane ride of hell.
• A backpacking backpack — budget airlines are strict with only 1 carry on and my North Face saved me so many times from luggage overages.
• Journal — journaling is a great way to better remember your experiences and reflect. Take it on the plane or train when you actually have some time to write.
• Folder for all your tickets and travel souvenirs — I just used a manila envelope to keep everything organized so I could easily bring it home.
• We Are Marquette poster — gonna want to take some epic MU pics and plus it’s easy to take along and put in that folder.
• Pictures from home and washi tape — pictures are a great way to decorate your new home and washi tape is great to put them up because it doesn’t damage furniture and is easy to use.
• Random items like scissors, superglue, wet wipes, extra travel bottles, travel tissue, hand sanitizer, travel perfume, reusable shopping bag (that folds up), small lock (for hostel lockers, etc.), extra plastic bags (they don’t give them away like we do over there), small first aid kit, charging bank, travel sewing kit, flash drives, etc.
• Favorite pens/pencils — if you are particular about this, bring your own.
• Tiny mementos that are easy to bring along — I brought a small wooden cutout of Wisconsin and a few tiny things like it.
• Reusable water bottle — if you use one here, you will want one over there and it’s best to use one you are used to or else you won’t drink from it.
• A small bluetooth stereo if you have one and you want it.
• Bring between $150–200 (or whatever there currency is) with you to get you started, pay for your first meal, taxi, etc. Best method for getting any currency is to put a debit card in an ATM ATTACHED TO A BANK (don’t use random ATM’s they can store your info and charge you huge fees). Get money that way and take out a lot at once because you’ll get a small fee (usually around 5 dollars) from your bank every time you do.
• Bring copies of all of your international health insurance, passport, credit and debit cards (front and back) and paperwork for applying for your visa. Keep it on you for your plane ride and put it in a safe spot for the day to day. Bring it with you on weekend trips so you have backups of everything in case something goes wrong.
• Any prescriptions (talk to your doctor before).

Things You Don’t Need:

• Rain-boots — it might rain a lot but it is not worth the extra weight of rain-boots in your bag. Small ankle rain boots may be a better alternative to your 20lbs Hunter boots.
• Clothes you think you might wear — because you will hate them, never wear them, and waste luggage space.
• Textbooks/Binders/Notebooks — get them over there, they will have school supplies available somewhere.
• DO NOT BRING STRAIGHTENER OR CURLING IRON OR HAIR DRYER — I often straighten my hair but didn’t end up doing it especially for weekend trips where it would have been a hassle to maintain a good look. I used my friends straighter on occasion. I pretty much learned to embrace my natural beauty on this trip which means not give a crap how my hair or makeup looked a good majority of the time.
• Books — if you don’t read much here you won’t there. Use your phone or laptop as an e-reader as an alternative.