Ok the SPM is over, the dust and brou-ha-ha over the gazillion As scored has settled and now the race for the JPA and other scholarships is on. The aim and ultimate of the top students will be for universities overseas.
Well, first comes the tertiery level of A-levels or Australian Matriculation or any other intermediate level of study before you actually enter university. When you have passed all that, and are finally packing your bags for that faraway university in the United Kingdom, Australia or the US of A, here is a little checklist you may find useful.
Its based on my own experience when I went off to England for the first time. Here are things I encourage that you bring with you on your first trip (at least to tide you over the first few months) because they are expensive compared to prices in Malaysia:-
- Toothpaste & toothbrush - at least 1 tube of toothpaste. These are terribly expensive in western countries and I don’t know why – I guess the manufacturers know everyone needs to brush their teeth anyway
- Sanitary Pads - Every female needs them. At least bring 1 or 2 packs to tide you over while you get settled in and find out where your nearest pharmacy or drugstore is.
- Paper and stationery - Odd choice of things to bring but yes, to start with, bring some testpads and pens, pencils, stapler, hole puncher, file etc. The prices, even at the Student Union shop will shock you.
- Contact Lens Solution - You’ll be thankful someone asked you to bring this with you heavy as it may be
- Spare spectacles or contact lenses - In the UK, these cost a bomb and a half. Bring a spare pair from here.
- Maggi Mee or your favourite instant noodles - you’ll be thankful you did!
- Socks - Stockings/tights are affordable but socks are ridiculously priced
- Batteries - If you are bringing anything that needs batteries, buy them here. Or buy rechargeable ones and carry the charger along. Environmentally friendly and saves you money too.
- Travel Adaptor - Places like Australia and the USA use different plugs. It makes more sense to buy it there, but if you’ll need an electrical appliance, bring one from here first just in case.
- Electrical Appliances - rice-cooker (every student needs one), computer/laptop etc electrical appliances are much much cheaper here.
- Gadgets - pendrive, ipods, what have yous.
- Bedlinen - If you aren’t provided any.
What you don’t need to carry a lot of:
- Clothes - Trust me. Just bring some essentials and maybe 50% of what you plan to carry with you. Whatever you bring will be unsuitable for the weather, out of fashion, redundant as you buy new stuff when you go round the stores/malls.
- Shoes - Bring 1 pair and maybe a back up. Get the rest where you are going. You will anyway.
- Winter clothes - Anything you buy here will be unsuitable or out of fashion. Bring 1 coat in case you are arriving in cold weather but get the rest there.
- Toiletries and makeup - Anything you see overseas will tempt you anyway so save your money and bring the minimum from here. The choices overseas are mind-boggling.
Like I said, this is just my little bit of advice from learning the hard way that there were things I should not have carried and things that I should have carried more of. If its of use to someone, great! 
{ 5 comments }
You tell em, PB!!! Good advice. I second all that, though I really never thought about taking pads over…
Hehe … that’s a good list indeed. I had my course seniors telling me to bring this and that, and I ended up bringing everything including the kitchen sink, and then some. Tsk tsk tsk
My friend brought a REAM of A4 papers with him because someone told him papers were expensive in the UK (hello?? 1-pound shop??) Oh, and I remembered bringing my favourite Shokubutsu shower gel with me once, and never have I used shower gel THAT sparingly before. Hehehe.
Yeah, I’d agree to the ‘not bringing much clothes from here’ bit. The fashion there’s much better anyways, AND, during sales? Woohoo!! Can somebody say queue up at NEXT at 6am on Boxing Day?
Hehe…nice list…I’ll be heading to London and Madrid on the 20th of April (for a break, altho now I wish I was a student again…sigh)
I remember hauling a RICE COOKER to Perth with me…as well as a whole lot of toiletries – until I fell in love with VO5 there (it was cheaper there too!!)
PS: Want anything from there?
LB: You no need the pads ma…
Tine: lol I did the same but during my time or where I was there was no 1 pound shop so paper was precious commodity hehe and drool… the sales are to die for!
Beetrice: argh! lucky lucky gal! I’m tempted to just buy a ticket and go galliavant around europe. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it more now rather than during student days right? Coz the budget then would be even tighter! And don’t tempt me girl! I want a container load of stuff! hehe
hehe…well, that’s the sad part…see, if you’re travelling while in UK, you’re doing it on the BOD (what I like to call the Bank Of DAD)…now? Keep dreaming lor…eeps!! (although now if I choose to blow the budget on shopping, he can’t say anything except “if you run out of money, don’t come running to me ah!” – which might just happen!)
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