Planning your packing 

Packing for University is hard enough without having to worry about how much your stuff weighs. For international students, the airline dictates every aspect of what you pack including what items are allowed, how much it can weigh, and the size. After my experience I have determined a few top tips for getting the most out of your space. The most important thing would be to plan ahead. Don’t wait until the week before to book your flight and pack.  When booking your flight, look at your baggage allowance. A lot of airline will allow you to have a personal item, carry-on and a checked bag. Plan out everything that you want to pack and start making a list. To get the most space out of your suitcase I swear by packing cubes and travel vacuum bags both of which can be easily found online. Packing cubes help organize everything and keep it contained in an area. The vacuum bags reduce the size of bulky jumpers and jackets providing extra room for more things. Try to label each as you go so you know exactly what you have in each bag.

Which bag should it go in?

The first place you should look to for this answer is the TSA website. Specific items like electronics are only allowed in your carry on while liquids have to be in your checked bag. After first checking with TSA, it is important to decide how important the item is to you. Important things like medications, important documents, or anything irreplaceable should not be placed in your checked bag. There is always a chance your checked bag will not arrive with you in Bournemouth.

To pack or to buy?

All the essentials that you need can be bought in Bournemouth. Your favorite outfit to wear on a lazy day or that item that reminds you of home may not seem essential but when you are thousand of miles from home these items help with the homesickness. Think of your favorite foods and research ahead of time if these are available here. You don’t realize how much you miss that staple until you don’t have it. If I would have realized that I can’t live without my favorite peanut butter I could have saved a lot of money on postage for my family who had it shipped to me. When trying to decide if you should buy at home or in Bournemouth, keep in mind 2 main things. First, how quickly will you need to this item and secondly, your money is worth the most in your own country. Waiting to buy a laptop may sound like a good idea but you may find that you need a laptop sooner than you expect and unless your currency is worth more than the pound you could end up spending a lot more than if you would have bought it at home.