[] What to bring with you

All students coming from India face the problem of fitting everything that they want to bring within their baggage allowance. With the more strict weight limits (2 bags of 50 lbs./23kg. on most airlines), the more common issue today is trying to stay under the weight limit rather than an issue of space. This page contains advice on the things you should bring from India and the things you should buy after arriving in the U.S. based on the experiences of students that have made this trip in the past. However, do be aware that finally what you bring depends on your personal preference.

General advice

>	Keep your passport, visa, I-20, and all other documentation with you at all times during your trip here. U.S. Immigration can ask to see supporting documents like admission letter, etc.
>	Keep copies of all your documents in separate suitcases. When you arrive here, keep the copies in your office or a similar safe location.
>	Keep the address of the University with you. You will need it when filling out immigration forms that are distributed during the flight.
>	Keep in mind that the US runs 110/120V appliances, so do not bring any electrical appliances with you, unless they are capable of running on 110/120V or you have a step-down transformer

What to buy where

This section is a brief summary of where you should buy specific items. Note that some items appear in both the U.S. and India columns. This means that you could buy either in India or the U.S. depending on your preference and how much space you have in your luggage. Additional advice and a more detailed list is below the table.

BRING FROM INDIA	BUY IN THE U.S.
Formal clothes (men)	Formal clothes (women)
Casual clothes (men and women)	Casual clothes (men and women)
Party wear	Party wear
Traditional clothes	Winter jacket
Undergarments / Socks / Nightwear	Gloves / Mufflers / Scarves
Light sweaters	Blanket / Comforter
Toiletries	Toiletries
Handbags / Wallets / Purses	Bedsheets / Pillow Covers
Leather shoes	Stationery
Sports shoes / Floaters	Sports shoes / Floaters
Slippers (casual and formal)	Electrical appliances
Pressure cooker + spare parts
Belan (for rotis)
School bag / Backpack
Eyeglasses / spectacles
Selected medicines
Selected food items
Textbooks (certain subjects only)
Namak Dani (for masalas)

Clothes

Before you decide what clothes to bring, please keep these important points in mind. The detailed list below has examples for each category. Items in red can be purchased in the U.S.

>	Quantity of clothes: Make sure you get a large quantity of clothes. You will typically wash your clothes only once a week and if you are busy, once every two weeks. Get sufficient quantities of clothes to last you at least two weeks.
>	Quality of clothes: You will be washing all your clothes together in a washing machine, and drying them in a dryer.  Make sure your clothes have fast colors and will not shrink from the heat of the dryer. Avoid bringing clothes with a lot of zari work or decorations as they will get spoilt in the washer. Wrinkle free fabrics are recommended as you will not have time to do a lot of ironing.
>	Clothes for the weather: The summers here are very hot and humid (as hot as India) and winters very cold and windy. Bring clothes that are appropriate for the weather. See more information on weather in St. Louis here.
>	Clothes for your program: Each school at the University has its own informal dress code. Engineering and natural sciences tend to have a more casual dress code than Business and Law. It is a good idea to have a sense of what the expected dress code is for your school.

Formal wear (men)     Suit     Full sleeve shirts     Ties (not too bright)     Dark colored trousers	Formal wear should be purchased in India as it is very expensive to get tailored suits in the U.S. Get atleast one white and one blue shirt. Ties should be conservative (solid color or muted pattern).
Formal wear (women)     Skirt Suit or Pant Suit     Formal tops     Black pants	For interviews and other professional activities, you will need western formal clothes which you should buy in the U.S. to be consistent with acceptable styles. For other formal occasions like weddings, parties, etc., it is acceptable to wear traditional formal clothes.
Casual wear (men)     T-shirts     Half sleeve shirts     Shorts     Jeans     Trousers	Most types of western casual clothes that work in India are fine for the U.S. Since clothes are cheaper in India, it is advisable to bring most of your clothes. You can buy additional clothes here depending on how much you want to spend.
Casual wear (women)     T-shirts and tops     Skirts     Jeans     Pants     Capris     Embroidered kurtis	Most types of western casual clothes that work in India are fine for the U.S. Since clothes are cheaper in India, it is advisable to bring most of your clothes. You can buy additional clothes here depending on how much you want to spend.
Traditional (men)     Kurta-pajamas     Embroidered short kurtas     Sherwani	Bring one or two sets of Indian clothes to wear for events like Diwali and Holi and if you visit the temple. Keep in mind that these have to be hand washed or dry cleaned (fairly expensive).
Traditional (women)     Salwar-kameez     Sarees	Bring one or two sets of Indian clothes to wear for events like Diwali and Holi and if you visit the temple. Salwar kameezes are easier to wash, iron and maintain as opposed to sarees. Dry cleaning silk sarees can be very expensive.
Other clothing     Underclothes     Socks     Nightclothes     Sportswear	Bring underclothes and socks in large quantities as you will do laundry only every week or two weeks. Bring cotton socks as well as woollen socks for the winter. Bring light nightclothes for summer and something warmer for winter (even though your apartment will have AC and heat). If you swim or play sports, consider bringing relevant attire from India.
Winter wear     Winter jacket     Sweaters and sweatshirts     Gloves     Hat     Scarf     Thermal underwear	Buy almost all winter wear from the U.S. as they are designed for the cold here. Sweaters and sweatshirts are useful to wear in the Fall and Spring when it is not so cold or to wear under the winter jacket during winter when it is very cold. Preferences vary for gloves, hats, scarves, and thermal underwear. In general, if you are not used to the cold, you should get gloves and a hat at the very least.
Shoes (men)       Sneakers     Black leather shoes     Floaters     Slippers	Get one pair of comfortable sneakers to wear on a regular basis. One pair of black leather shoes to go with your suit is a must. Bring slippers to go with your Indian clothes as finding those is hard here. In addition, bring foaters and slippers for use during the summer months. Usually, there is no need for winter boots in St. Louis. Shoes are readily available here so don't feel like you have to bring a lot of pairs.
Shoes (women)       Sneakers     Formal shoes (close toed)     Floaters     Slippers (for Indian wear)     Slippers (casual)	Get one pair of comfortable sneakers to wear on a regular basis. One pair of formal shoes to go with your suit is a must. In addition, bring foaters and slippers for use during the summer months. Bring slippers to go with your Indian clothes as finding those is hard here. Some women prefer to wear boots during the winter but it is up to your personal preference. Shoes are readily available here so don't feel like you have to bring a lot of pairs.

Toiletries and Medicine

General toiletries     Toothpaste and toothbrush     Shaving kit     Sunscreen lotion     Combs and brushes     Vaseline     Hair oil	Bring minimal amount of toiletries from India, enough for one or two weeks. They are heavy and can cause a mess. Most basic toiletries can be bought here fairly cheaply. If you use something that is specifically sold only in India, like vaseline, bring that with you.
Make-up (women)     Foundation     Rouge	Make up is available here but can be on the expensive side. Shades of make-up sold here are geared towards lighter skin tones, which may not be suitable for you. Also, if you are particular about colors and shades, you may want to bring make up from India.
Medicines     Crocin     Vicks / Iodex     Brufen     Stomach upset medicine     Bandaid     Malaria medicine     Antiseptic ointment	Bring a small supply of medicines with you for emergencies. If you use any ayurvedic medicines, bring them from India but make sure they are new, completely sealed packets. You may also want to bring medicines you take regularly as it takes some time to get a prescription for equivalent medicines in the U.S.

Kitchen and Household

Bedroom     Sheets and pillow covers     Comforter or blanket	Don't bring linens from India. Beds in the U.S. have different dimensions and your sheets will not fit. You should bring just one or two sheets for temporary use and to cover yourself if you like. Comforter should be bought in the U.S. so that it is suited for the cold here.
Kitchen       Pressure cooker     Plates     Spoons and forks     Glasses and mugs     Bowls     Belan     Namak dani	Make sure you get a pressure cooker and spare parts as they are expensive here but are useful for cooking rice and dal. Other items should be gotten in a small quantity (1 or 2 of each) just to get you started. You can buy additional kitchen items cheaply here. Make sure everything you get or buy is microwave and dishwasher safe because you will be heating food in the microwave and washing dishes in the dishwasher a lot.
Food     Masalas     Tea / Coffee     Misc. groceries	You can buy most Indian masalas, dals, and other groceries at the Indian store here. However, it is far away from campus and hard to get to without a car. You can bring a small supply of food for the first few days. However, if you don't plan on cooking Indian food in the first few days, the standard grocery store is close by and easily reachable.
Stationery     Pens and pencils     Notebooks     Textbooks     Scissors, stapler     Hole puncher     Paper clips     Rubber bands	Stationery is easily available here and you should avoid bringing any unless you have spare space (unlikely!). Be aware that in the U.S., they use a different paper size. Also, they use 3-hole punches instead of 2-hole so buy that here. Some textbooks (usually engineering and science ones) are available for a lot cheaper in India. If you know what textbooks you need, you can save money by bringing them from India.

Miscellaneous Items

Documentation     Indian drivers license     International Driving Permit     Acceptance letters to WU     Old academic transcripts     Medical prescriptions     Copies of visa/passport     Copy of bachelors degree	The Indian license / IDP will make it easier for you to get a U.S. license if you plan to drive here. Other documentation may be requested by U.S. Immigration authorities and may be needed for other purposes. Keep copies of your passport, visa, and other immigration documents in multiple places. Medical prescriptions are needed if you want to get equivalent medication here.
Eye & Dental Care        Eye prescriptions	Eye and dental care is NOT included in most student insurance plans. You have to pay an additional amount to get this coverage. Get your eyes and teeth checked up and if you wear glasses or contacts, get lots of spares. Eye and dental care is very expensive in the U.S. Glasses cost in the hundreds of dollars.
Misc. Items     Umbrella or Raincoat     Agarbatti     Sewing kit     Shoe polish and brush	Bring these items as per your preference. A sewing kit is useful to repair buttons and small tears.

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