You've been accepted to a university in the United States, you have
your visa, and you can't wait to go. The only thing standing in your
way is trying to fit everything you own into a few small pieces of
luggage. Where do you start?
Documents
- Visa
- Passport
- Certificate of Eligibility for students and scholars
- Arrival-Departure Record (given to you on the plane)
- Copies of important documents (birth certificate, credit cards, bank information). If your birth certificate or marriage certificate is in a different language, also bring notarized translations.
- Maps
- Travel books
- Academic documents (course syllabi, official secondary and postsecondary transcripts)
- Contact information for: a person at the college or university to which you're traveling, a person in your home country, and someone in your country's consulate (or a similar role) in the United States
Medical
- Certificates of Immunization and Vaccination (Regulations are different for each country, so ask at the U.S. embassy what steps are necessary before entering the United States.)
- Prescriptions for medication and eyeglasses
- Medical and dental records
Clothes
- Look on a Web site such as weather.com to see the average temperatures for the area where you'll be living. Make certain you aren't packing bulky sweaters if you'll be living someplace that is warm year-round.
- Clothes fill up a suitcase faster than you might think. Only pack enough outfits for two weeks, at the most. If you find a need for more clothes when you've arrived, there will be plenty of opportunities to shop!
- Americans in general—and students in particular—tend to dress casually. Bring mostly casual, comfortable clothes.
Study Supplies
- A good bilingual dictionary
- Books and manuals in your area of study that might not be available in the United States
Also be sure to bring some photos and reminders of family and friends, both to remind you of home and to show your new friends. And bring a camera to help you remember all the people and places you will see during your visit.
For a more detailed list, as well as advice on what not to bring, visit EducationUSA.
