First things first: what should go in your suitcase?
Your suitcase should be filled with things that you can’t readily get once you’ve landed in the Netherlands or wherever it is you’re going. This, of course, includes stuff like clothes (you don’t want to be going to H&M the very second you exit the airport), medicine, and probably some sentimental stuff to remind you of home. This should not include heavy things such as large kitchen pans or pots (bringing this stuff halfway across the globe is not fun), clothing irons or steamers, a flipping printer – seriously, who brings a printer? Just use your university’s services.
In any case, depending on your accommodation and whether or not it’s furnished, you should bring:
- Clothes (enough for at least two weeks, reusing pants and shirts is fine) and some hangers.
- Lightweight bed and pillow sheets.
- Water bottle.
- Bathroom essentials – towels, toiletries, but not things like soap that you can get anywhere.
- Important documents, including your passport and visa, your tickets, your housing contract, your letter of acceptance, your insurance documentation, and your proof of funds. Bring both physical and electronic copies.
- Your laptop, as per university guidelines. Make sure to bring the correct adapter plug.
- Emergency cash.
Finally, please ensure that your suitcase does not exceed the limit set by your airline, hence why bringing heavy kitchenware is not advised.
Now – what do I actually need for university?
This is a tricky one. What everyone needs is going to be different for everyone, after all. However, I think we can all agree on a couple of baselines – one of them being that this is stuff that you will likely get once you’ve arrived to your home away from home. Oh, and also that you’ll need a bike ASAP.
Bedroom
- Basic furniture, if you don’t have any, including a bed, a chair, a table, and a wardrobe. Try to look for secondhand items, such as through IKEA's second chance corner.
- Laundry basket
- Pillows, blanket, and comforter
- Two sets of bedsheets
- Storage baskets
- Full-length mirror
- Over the door hanger
- Desk lamp
- Rug (optional, though it does add a bunch of personality to your room)
- Mini-fridge (optional)
- Fan (optional)
Bathroom and toilettries
- At least two towels for showering and for your face each
- A steady supply of shampoo, conditioner, body soap and facewash
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Hair brush and other hair products
- Deodorant
- Nail clippers, tweezers, Q-tips, cotton balls
- Razors and shaving cream
- Medicine – at the very least, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen
- First aid kit, including band-aids
- Cleaning equipment, such as brooms, mops, and cleaning solution
Kitchen
- At least one of each pan type in your kitchen (a skillet, a wok, a saute pan, et cetera) shared among your housemates or bought by yourself
- A good knife, a knife sharpener, and a cutting board (preferably wood)
- Cups and mugs for yourself
- At least three plates and bowls for yourself
- Utensils such as spoons/forks, but also spatulas, graters, ladles, etc.
- Baking supplies such as oven mitts, baking trays, large bowls
- Tupperware
- Plastic bags for trash
Class
- Your trusty notebooks and pens
- Your pencil case, including markers, highlighters, different colour pens, etc.
- Any software you need already installed, such as MATLAB or Solidworks
- Sticky notes
- A light charger – for laptops supporting USB-C charging, I highly recommend you to take advantage of this!
- A nice, strong backpack to carry everything
Everything listed above is essentially what every student needs to survive. Even if you forgot to bring stuff like bedsheets or extra clothes, these things are quite easy to get in Enschede or any other city in the Netherlands, so don’t be too worried about what material things to bring along with you. The most important thing in your possession should be your documents and medicine – also known as the things you absolutely need to have with you at all times. And just remember: if your uncle or any other extended family member starts to question about the reliability of your university’s printers, you’ll know it’s high time you tailed it out of there. Good luck, future students!
