Guide to packing for Kazakhstani students.

Dear students,

I  had an idea to write a guide on what to pack to embrace the British weather but I actually decided to write a general guide on packing which  hopefully  will not only help you to  stay warm while being in the UK but also to  overcome the  homesickness and to neglect  overweight fee in the airports.

 Alright, It’s a few days left till  your departure to the UK for the first time.  There is already enough to worry  about but here comes another problem : luggage organization. First and foremost, sit down, pour  a  cup of tea and take a piece of paper and pen.  Divide the  piece of paper into two columns. On top of the first one write ‘urgent’, and on the second one write ‘important’. Meanwhile, I am going to provide you with the    examples of the things which  usually  are useful  for people that go to study abroad

1)   Medicine

           When you first come to the UK it could take you a few days to register in a Medical centre and  even more to get an appointment with a doctor.  Therefore, I suggest you to  carefully consider the medications  you  bring with you from home. I would strongly recommend you to bring  those that help to relieve a headache,  sore throat and cough. Don’t forget thermometer (both digital and mercury) to measure the temperature.  The rest of the medications should go under your considerations.

2)      Credit card and cash

 Ok.

 This might be  weird to say while  being a young lady in 2017 but when I came to the UK for the first time I did not have a credit card because I thought I would be alright with just cash. But the reality is   that it is extremely  inconvenient in the UK to use cash all the time  and  carry it around in big quantities.

 First of all, usually in banks in Kazakhstan when we exchange   cash ( from Tenge to British  pound sterling) we are given 50 quid notes. REMEMBER once and  for all that  the majority of British people have never seen 50£ note. Therefore, they usually react on it with a big interest firstly, and then start  checking them   (in case they are counterfeit) that might take a long time.  Therefore, make sure to  create a credit card before coming to the UK. But! Don’t  forget to bring some cash too.

Secondly,  British pound sterling notes are much bigger than  tenge notes. Such inconvenience may cause your  wallet ,that you bought  back home especially, being ripped off several times.

 On the time of the arrival you will be able to create your own British bank account. For that you will need to go to the bank such as for example Barclays which is located  on campus.

3)      Warm clothes

You have probably heard an expression “The Foggy Albion “ when talking about about the UK.  “The Foggy Albion” might not be as foggy as people usually assume but cold for sure. For that reason   make sure to bring a lot of warm clothes. Back to Kazakhstan  it is quite cold especially in winter and we are all aware of that but in the UK  it is cold in a different way. The weather is very windy and humid. Therefore, bring as many jumpers and coats as possible.

4)      Family and friends photographs

You might not to have thought about it but actually for me and a few friends of mine printed photographs helped to avoid homesickness.  They might serve as nice decorations in your room  as well as help to   bring a piece of home in the UK.

5)     Bedroom Essentials

 If you are coming to study in INTO you  don't have to buy your own bedding as  everything you need will be provided in your INTO accommodation. However, if you are coming to the uni and staying on campus it does not mean you would be given the same opportunity. Of course you will be able to  buy the bedding after you arrive but  from my own experience  I would say   it is better to bring one set of bedding that would include   things such as pillow case, fitted sheet and duvet case so that you would not need to sleep on a bed without anything on it as it has happened to me and a few other people I know.

 I hope my advices have helped you to organise your luggage and I hope you will enjoy your journey when the time comes for it.

Sincerly yours,

Alina Maximova 

Kazakhstani students' ambassador