Leaving abroad has been an amazing experience. I have learnt a lot about myself and the resolve I needed to achieve this. This post is about the advice that I would have liked to know before I decided to study in England, as I did three trips to Mexico during the year I was studying and each trip I brought something essential that I did not know I needed.
The city of Liverpool was my first residence in England, and I arrived with one large suitcase full of clothes, a computer bag, a sleeping bag, and one point-and-shoot digital camera.
Liverpool is most famous as the birthplace of the rock band The Beatles and the port of registration for the Titanic. Liverpool is located Northwest England. The Liverpudlian speak a Scouse dialect also known as Liverpool English. The first time I took a bus drive to the city centre, I realised that I was unable to understand them and thought that my knowledge of the language might be rubbish for this and then I realised that they had their own dialect, so I adjust.
Liverpool was the city I chose for my first master’s degree; however, I was unable to choose my student accommodation as I was assigned to a dorm. My dorm was located at the edge of the campus within walking distance of all the university buildings that I required.
I was lucky to be assigned to a 4-bedroom dormitory, instead of an 8-bedroom dorm like my friends, with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. I was assigned my own kitchen cabinet with my own key. It happened that one flatmate never arrived at the dorm, so I only shared my living quarters with two Greek ladies which was a lot of fun. The only minor problem was that the dorm was in a 4th floor without lift, so taking the suitcase upstairs was a slow and painful process.
Since this was my first time living away from my house, I did not know what to expect. My adventure started perfect as I had all my digital music (Spotify did not exist), my basic student kit (notebooks, pens, CD R/W), a sleeping bag, some clothes, an umbrella, a waterproof jacket, and a computer (with a DVD player). However, I did not know that you also needed a student survival kit including cooking utensils, dinnerware, silverware, a pillow, and laundry bag, as the kitchen’s cabinets were empty and not even a glass was there.
After checking all the cabinets and realising that I was ill equipped, I panicked to the extreme of thinking of calling my parents and asking them to return home. So after panicking for an hour, I realized that I had money, so I went shopping around the student accommodation and I took advantage of this to explore the city centre.
I also realized that I was missing so Mexican flavours, which were difficult to find and very expensive. Therefore, on my next trip back home in November, I brought a 40kg bag of food including spices, snacks, and essentials. It was a challenge taking up the suitcase to the 4th floor flat as it was too heavy, so I opened the suitcase on the 2nd floor and then took the content one backpack at a time which took around 2 hours of up and down trips.
Therefore, after three trips to Mexico I created my list of essential items for studying abroad are:
1. Clothes –
a. Take maximum 2 suitcase with up to 23kg, as after 2 items the prices per bag increases exponentially so it is not worth it.
b. Take clothes suitable for all seasons, as most course last around 12 months.
c. Make sure that your clothes are chosen according to the weather of the place you are staying, hence the waterproof jacket and the umbrella.
d. However, if you are from a hot climate, buy your winter clothes in the city of temporary residence, as winter clothes in Mexico are very fashionable but not warm at all.
e. If travelling to England, bring a windproof umbrella and a waterproof jacket as it rains a lot, and the heavy wind destroys normal umbrellas.
2. Computer and gadgets –
a. Take a computer bag, suitable for cabin storage for all your gadgets and computer.
b. Take a large external USB for all your digital requirements, like the backup for your digital music and for storage of all your photographs and document, as there is not enough space on your phone for an entire year of your storage needs.
c. Check if your gadgets are suitable for the electricity of the country that you are going, as Europe manage a different current than USA. This is depicted on the charger box of your plug extension.
d. Get one universal plug per gadget, as different countries have different plugs shapes, and your computer and gadgets are only suitable for the country that you bought them from.
e. Consider instead buying a multiple USB port with universal plugs, as now a days most gadgets are USB compatible. However, be mindful of connecting all your gadgets at the same time, as there might be some overload.
3. Household items –
a. For the sleeping arrangement, I found taking a sleeping bag was very practical and only bought a pillow on arrival. It is up to you, but you need something for your bed.
b. Get a laundry bag that is foldable, as this is easy to set, use and store.
c. On arrival, check if your shared kitchen has the essential items that you need like glasses, cutlery, dinnerware, cooking utensils, pots, and pans.
d. If they do not, search for student packages as most universities cities have a store that specializes in this, or you can buy them second hand from the students that are leaving.
e. Take a bit of home with you like photographs of your family and friends, and something for decoration as most dorms walls are empty.
4. Cooking –
a. Take your favourite sweets and snacks from home, as it is very important that your new place feels like home by making sure that you avoid being homesick and you can focus on your studies.
b. Take a basic recipe book with all your favourite dishes and the essential ingredients. Try to find out if these ingredients are available in a powder version, as removing the water portion will allow you to carry more items as every item has a weight associated with, as you need to think about the weight restrictions of your suitcases.
5. Security –
a. Keep your passport in a secure place where you have the only keys. Most student accommodations have spare keys just in case there is malfunction, and they need a quick assess so your dorm is not secure.
b. Therefore, unless there is a locked drawer in your room, take your passport with you all the time, as if you lose it the only way to replace is by going to your embassy and getting a replacement, which will take a lot of time and a lot money.
6. School –
a. Avoid buying books if you are planning to return home as those are very heavy. Try to find an electronic version of the book you want or get the library copy; this will allow you to save some money and reduce the weight when returning home.
b. Bring from home your favourite notebook or pen, however, buy from university stores all other items, as some schools you need to get their own calculator for exams.
7. Returning home –
a. Search for moving companies that specialised in sending books and bulky stuff to your hometown as you are still bound with the restrictions of the two suitcases with up to 23kg and after a year abroad, I am certain that you have more items that you came with.
b. Sell all the items that you do not need anymore. Some universities have bulletin board for things to sell as most foreign students buy the same items every year and you can sell them for a price.
c. However, if you preferred donate to charity shops, this will help other people. In the case of the books, you can also donate them to the university library as they would always accept extra copies.
Living abroad has been so enjoyable, that I am still living in England. However, these essential tips I still used them every time I go to Mexico as there are things that never change. Every time I return home, I need to be conscious about my luggage weight as the restrictions applies to everyone. The main reason I return home is to restock all my Mexican flavours including all the essential ingredients for my cooking. The trick now is to make sure that they last enough to have a little piece every time I want or until my next trip.
However, I also cheat as my parents also come will an assortment of flavours so I can eat more frequently, or they last longer, depending on your taste.
Living abroad is fun but you have to plan every item that you are taking with you as you are restricted by weight so make sure that every item is essential and adjust your taste accordingly. The best part of you travelling with your flavours and these being limited is that you get very creative and flavours that you never tasted when living with your parents, now they are part of your own style which currently is a fusion of Mexican (birthplace), British (place of residence), and Mediterranean (especially Greek and Turkish).
Take this time to expand your knowledge of your specialised field (your master’s degree) but also explore everything that the city has to offer and learnt from every person that you meet, that would allow you to have an open mind and flexible for trying new things. But above all, enjoy your student time as after that is only work.
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