What to pack for your life in Estonia: a short guide for those who will stay in dorms
As a master student of TalTech, I have now spent nearly four semesters living in the dorms. For me, it was the best option, because of their location and price. I have stayed in the dorms in my bachelor years, so I was already used to sharing a room with someone.
The applications for first-year students start on June 17, you can find instructions on how to apply and read more about dorms here:
https://www.ttu.ee/organizations/campus/applicant/first-year-international-students/
As most of you are already packing for Estonia (or at least, trying to figure out what to budget for), I will try to summarize everything I needed here by categories: clothing, hygiene, electronics, kitchen utensils, bedding. Scroll down to the end of the article to see links to various websites of the stores you might need to visit (and check the prices). Some of these might seem quite obvious to you, but I still included them for a reference.
First things first, clothing. Few tips here for guys and gals:
- Winter clothes. If you want to survive Estonian winter, layering is a key.
You don’t have to buy the warmest winter coat possible, and unless your country has a similar winter, it is better to look around what Estonians wear and get a coat once you arrive. At the same time, if you already have some, do bring thermals. Your coats also have to cover your crotch for you not to get sick.
Estonian fall and winter are not necessarily -30, but rather a rain, or snow with rain. This means that your clothes should be somewhat waterproof.
Scarves, long socks, tights, leggings, handkerchiefs are what you do as a foreigner who does not want to end up sick. Estonians around you will have a tendency to underdress, but keep in mind, they grew up here, and have a way different perception of temperature.
Where to buy all this stuff: Sõbralt Sõbrale (second-hand shop), sports attire stores (like Rademar, SportsDirect, etc.), or at any other mall in Tallinn. Also, Facebook buy-sell groups.
- National clothing. Each year ESN (one of the student organizations) organizes a large international student dinner, where people also showcase their talents on stage. Also, students like to organize various events dedicated to their home countries. So bring along your traditional clothing, your flag or some other things that might remind you of home:)
- Swimsuit. Baltic sea might not be the place you dream of swimming in, but Estonians, much like Finnish worship sauna. Bring along yours and experience it.
- Sports attire. This one is, of course, optional. TalTech offers students to take a free Physical education course for 2 semesters to gain extra credits so it might be a good option to bring something along. Also, you can go hiking in one of the national parks or even at Pääskula bog in Tallinn, or even join one of the sports events organized at TalTech.
- Classic attire. We don’t have a dress code at TalTech. Of course, try your best to look neat at university as it is a professional setting. For official events at TalTech like the opening of the academic year, graduations and similar you will be expected to dress more professionally. It is also good to have a nice shirt combination for any interviews you might have during your studies in Tallinn.
- Shoes. As I have mentioned before, Estonia gets pretty wet in fall and winter, so investing in waterproof shoes makes sense. Bring along some flip flops for the shower. Also, over the past 2 years of living here, I haven’t worn high heels once (though depends on your style).
To sum up, bring whatever you are comfortable in (and what keeps you warm!).
Bedding&towels
If you are lucky enough to have extra space in your luggage, you can bring some linen with you. If not, I recommend going to Jysk (nearest from TalTech dorms is at Kristiine shopping mall) or searching at some discount stores. Beds in TalTech have a standard one-person mattress (80*200). Therefore, you will need to buy/bring:
- Pillow and pillowcase
- Sheets
- Some warmer blanket and case for it
- Throw/thin blanket to use as a cover for your bed.
If you can’t bring your own towels, you can also get some at Jysk.
Hygiene&cosmetics
This one is, of course, up to you. Few tips I can give:
- Bring some cream and chapstick, because Estonian winds and frost are not as good for your skin.
- If your hair has a special regimen, do consider bringing some stuff along (protective caps, conditioners, etc.).
- When it comes to ladies, all usual brands of tampons and pads are available in Tallinn. At the same time, I would recommend bringing some from home, if the prices are cheaper where you come from (You can compare prices using links at the end of the post
Medicine
If you take prescription medicine, do bring it along with a prescription for it (potentially, try to get an English translation of it). I would also recommend bringing a small first aid kit: band-aids, aspirin, anti-flu medicine, indigestion remedies, etc.
Tallinn gets very little sunlight in the cold time, so consider bringing some vitamin D with you (or buy one here).
Cooking utensils
You can buy most of the kitchen utensils at a regular supermarket like Rimi, Maxima, Selver or Prisma. You will probably need:
- A few forks
- A few spoons and teaspoons
- Cutting knife
- Frying pan
- Cooking bot
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Few bowls and plates for cooking
- A glass and a mug.
All students get a stove and a refrigerator in their dorm. I would recommend investing in a microwave, blender and rice cooker, and divide expenses among your housemates. You can find many utensils second-hand in Facebook buy-sell groups, or at any other electronics store.
Cleaning gear
There are no carpets in dorms (unless you buy one), so it makes sense to just buy a broom, a mop, and a basket. You will also need to get a trash bin and a toilet brush (if your room or kitchen doesn’t have any). All of this is available at Jysk or any supermarket. Share the expense with your housemates, as all of you are responsible for cleaning the common area.
Electronics
All of these are up to you and your budget, but here is what I used so far:
- Laptop. Most of the classes at TalTech will have digital notes available, and professors also practice submission of your assignments online. So it makes sense to invest in a laptop that you can bring along to lectures. If you don’t currently have one, you can also use computers at TalTech library and 24/7 study room.
- Extra screen. This one is not a necessity, but may be really useful for any programming tasks or academic writing. You can also borrow an extra screen to use at TalTech library, so no worries
- Adapters/multiple socket outlets. Make sure your appliances can be used in Estonia, and do bring adapters along
- Hairdryer/hair styling tools
- A reading lamp for my desk
- External batteries/charging stations
- USB sticks/external hard drives.
- Iron.
Food
Many stores in Tallinn start offering ethnic foods, but I would still recommend bringing some of your favorite sweets, alcohol, spices or other ingredients that you might need to cook your favorite meal.
This is, of course, a non-exhaustive list, and really depends on where you are coming from and what are your needs. My intention is to give you an idea about what to bring along and what to get in Tallinn upon arrival :)
See you in Tallinn!
For reference, you can use websites of https://www.jysk.ee/, https://www.selver.ee/, https://www.prismamarket.ee/, https://www.euronics.ee/, https://www.1a.ee/, https://ee.sportsdirect.com/ or just Google it :)
