If this is your first extended trip to another country, you may be a little nervous. Do not worry! The tips in this section will help make sure you arrive in one piece and with all your luggage.

Packing

The following checklist will help you make sure you have not missed anything important.

• Money, credit cards, checkbook, traveler's checks, financial records, PIN codes for your bank cards
• Emergency Money (keep US$100 hidden somewhere on your person of an emergency)
• Clothing, including shoes, coats, cold weather clothing, and rain gear
• Official academic transcripts and English translations
• Medical and dental records, including immunization and vaccination records and prescriptions, eyeglasses, insurance records
• Marriage certificate and birth certificates of all family members
• Passport and plane tickets, Form I-20
• National and international driver's licenses,
• A list of the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of key contacts,
• Books, including a dictionary and phrase book
• Books, including a dictionary and phrase book
• Academic documents, such as the school's course catalog and other material you received from the school

You should bring enough money with you to cover your first month's expenses until you are able to transfer funds from abroad. This will be minimum US $1,500, but probably more (look at your budget to be sure).

Make two xeroxes of any important document. Leave one copy at home, and bring one copy with you, but keep it separate from the originals.

Before You Leave

Before you leave, let the international student advisor know about your travel plans and expected arrival date. Also, give your family members who are staying behind your contact information in the United States.

Attend the US Information Service's pre-departure orientation session. It will provide a lot of helpful information.

Air Travel

When purchasing your tickets, always ask about APEX (Advance Purchase Excursion) fares, which offer significant discounts for tickets that are purchased several weeks in advance.

Keep in mind that air travel covering more than a few time zones often results in a disorientation called "jetlag". Your body will initially have trouble adjusting to the time shift. During your flight, avoid caffeine and alcohol, but drink plenty of water. After you arrive at your destination, it is important to go to sleep at the normal time for your destination, and to walk around in the bright morning sunlight after you wake up. Most people take about 3 days to recover from jetlag.

For travel to the US, you should compare the fares on several major international carriers. Sometimes the US airlines are cheaper, and sometimes the major carriers serving your country are cheaper.