Packing

To Do Before Departure

  • Upload a copy of your passport, visa, admission letter, and original certificates to Google drive or sent them to your parents
  • Check the weather before departure. Is it cold (do I need to wear thermals)? Will it rain?
  • When booking your flight, make use of the student discounts available like Qatar Student Discount or Turkish Student Discount

Notes on cold

  • For the most part, I don't use that much thermal undershirt (as my jacket is thick enough), I do use thermal pants a lot.
  • Most people will probably survive without a winter boot, I never use mind except when I go out to play with snow.
  • Gloves are nice but often very unpractical, you can't really open your phone with them, if you really need them I usually use the think wool ones
  • Hoodies are your best friend, you can use them if it is cold indoor, otherwise a thin fleece jacket will do
  • Regular sock suffice, I almost never use those thick winter socks

Important To Bring

  • FFP2 Masks, lots of em only FFP2 are currently allowed in many areas within Germany
  • Sleeping bags, if you are still going to move from place to place

Keep in your carry on bag

  • Passport, Admission Letter (Studienplatzzusagge / Zulassung) and Original Copies (if you bring any) (the rest can go into your checked in luggage)
  • At least 1 day worth of clothing if not 2 - 3 day (baggage gets lost all the time)
  • Hand cream and lip balm (it is really dry in Febuary)
  • Pocket tissue (it's usually cold so you might have a bit of runny nose)
  • If it is going to rain upon arrival, a tiny umbrella would be nice, otherwise just buy one hear (its around 3 Euros)

Nice To Bring

  • Body pillow (you cannot get them in Germany)
  • Some basic medicine (paracetamol, promag, diatab, stop cold, antimo, fix44)
  • Powerbank
  • Earplugs, if you cannot sleep with someone snoring, you could also buy them here Ohropax brand works best for me.

Do Not Bring

  • Rice Cooker, just buy one on Amazon.de
  • Bedding, the bed size and pillow size in Germany is diffrent (single beds are 80x200 and pillows are 80x40 or 80x80), just grab them at IKEA
  • Soap and shampoos, Germany is really dry compared to Indonesia, using soaps from Indonesia will make your skin break, just get them at Rossman or DM

Clothing

  • Long sleeve which are quite thick are best for winters, it usually suffice to use one layer and a jacket on top of it (in Berlin at least)
  • Summer is hot, so lot's of T-shirts!
  • One formal clothing for graduation events and so on