5 Useful Things to Pack for Studying in Italy

So you’re heading off to study in Italia! No doubt this is going to be a life-changing experience, full of new and exciting sights and encounters. But before you get caught up in your daydreams, we have to talk about what you’re going to pack. In order for things to go off without a hitch during your time in Italy, check out these essential items.

Versatile Clothing

Clothes will easily take up the most room in your luggage, so let’s be smart about this. Ideally, you want to pack clothes that are comfortable, durable, and at least moderately stylish.

No one wants to look like a tourist, hence why your clothes should have some element of local style, but you also want to be comfortable during all of the walking you’ll be doing. The more versatile your clothes are, the less you’ll have to pack, and the lighter you pack the better.

Over-The-Counter Medicine

Although it’s probably not what you envision, chances are you’re going to get sick at leas once during your time in Italy. The last thing you want to do is end up in an Italian pharmacy trying to explain your symptoms and buying over-the-counter drugs that you’re not familiar with, especially if there’s a language barrier.

Know your body. Think about what kind of sickness or ailment you’re most prone to and plan accordingly. Visit your local pharmacy and stock up on the over-the-counter drugs that you usually turn to.

Be sure to bring a first-aid kit, and consider packing a thermometer, especially if you’re used to reading temperature in Fahrenheit.

Adapters and Converters

Of course, you’ll be bringing your laptop, phone, camera, and all the necessary chargers, but the important thing to consider is how you’ll be plugging all of these in.

In order to charge/use all of your devices, you’re going to need an adapter that allows you to plugin. Italy has its own unique electrical socket, as well as another socket unique to Europe and Russia. Therefore, to be completely prepared, you’ll want two different adapters, which you can see and purchase here. If you don’t want to buy more than one of each, bring a power strip so you can plug into one outlet, but use/charge multiple devices.

Italian outlets provide a 220-240-volt output, which may be more juice than your devices can handle. Make sure to check your device's voltage input. Say you’re from the United States, where sockets only have an output of 110-120 volts. In this case, you may want to look into a voltage converter.

Maps

Although you may be used to getting around using Google Maps, know that you can’t rely on your phone everywhere you go, especially if you don’t have international data in your phone plan.

In this case, you’ll need a physical map of the city you’re staying in and whatever other cities you plan to visit. Like any student going abroad, you’ll want to go exploring, and the best way to do that without getting lost is to carry a map.

Pocket Dictionary

This is more for students who haven’t studied Italian to the point of fluency yet. Bring a pocket dictionary that translates words and common phrases from your native tongue into Italian. This will be your lifeline if the language barrier is one of your bigger concerns.

Author: Tanner Hackney

Author Bio: Mr. Hackney is a Junior Journalism and Marketing student at American University. His travels have taken him to England, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands.

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