Example Packing List

Packing for your trip to CMU can be quite a confusing experience. You're not just bringing stuff to a foreign country half the world away, you're bringing stuff that will last you for probably a year too! As such, here's a simple guide to give you an idea of what you should include in your luggage.

I've split this list into two sections. One is the traditional "things to bring" list, while the other is the (perhaps) more important "things NOT to bring" list. The latter is especially useful when your caring mother starts overloading your luggage with all kinds of stuff that she resolutely insists does not exist in the States.

Things to Bring

Clothes : A week's worth of clothing. 1 set of formal attire.

Just bring stuff you wear in Singapore; the weather won't be very cold when you first arrive. If you're concerned, just choose those with thicker material. No need for lots of turtlenecks and thick sweaters. Also, the dorms all have laundry machines, which means you don't need to worry about running out of clothes once you've moved in to your residence. The formal attire isn't really that necessary, but generally at the end of orientation there's an event called Convocation which is semi-formal and thus requires more than berms and a t-shirt. Its also more cost-effective to bring them along than buying a set here and hardly wearing it.

Outerwear : Windbreaker or light jacket, sweater.

A good example of a suitable windbreaker for those DSTA scholars among you would be the jacket you got from DSTA. It will only get colder at night, and most of the time its more of the wind (for the first forthnight or so that it). If you're really afraid of the cold, get an extra sweater. Please see the "things NOT to bring" section for details on winter-type clothes.

Footwear : A pair of standard sneakers, sandals and slippers.

Basically what you wear in Singapore. Slipper are exceptionally useful because you can get them a lot cheaper at home, and in winter you'll appreciate wearing slippers in the toilet where the tiles can get quite cold.

Toiletries : The usual stuff, toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, etc.

Pack like you're going for a weeklong chalet stay. You can get all the toiletries you need over here (obviously), so the only reason you're bringing stuff along is so you'll be able to keep clean during the first few days of your stay when you haven't had the time to go shopping. Its also better to bring a standard bottle of shampoo and soap rather than small travel bottles; that way if the worst happens and you don't go shopping you won't run out that quickly.

Another note: you can't get Japanese hair gel here, so those of you guys who use hair gel will probably want to bring a large supply of Gatsby or similar; the alternatives are expensive salon ones or cheaper brands that don't really seem to work well with asian hair.

Medicines : Stuff you need, traditional chinese medicines.

The medicines you get here are all different from what you get in Singapore, so if there are any particular medications you swear by, bring them along. If you don't care if your headache is cured by Panadol or Tylenol, don't bother. Also, chinese medicines while possibly available are more scarce, so bottle of Poh Chai Pills and so on are good.

Stationery : 1 year supply of pens, mechanical pencils, pencil lead.

As TJ mentions below, mechanical pencils aren't really used here, and they're quite expensive, so bring your own. Same goes for lead, and to some extent pens. Marcus says you can get them cheap at Costco, but you won't be going there anytime soon I'm afraid, since its not that nearby. Please see the "what NOT to bring" section for important information on stationery.

Decorative pens and papers are expensive here too, so bringing those along would help you save. And for archi students I believe you can save a lot by buying the stuff you need in Singapore. Talk to an archi senior for more information.

One thing to note about rulers: you can get them cheaper in Singapore, but if you plan to do any measurements make sure the ruler has inch markings. Metric units aren't used much here.

Electronics : Digital camera, calculator, handphone.

A digital camera is more or less a must since its the easiest way to take photographs and send them back to your family (they'll be pestering you constantly for photos, believe me). In the states, most people use big expensive graphing calculators with tons of functions; in most cases you won't need all that advanced stuff, and in fact quite a lot of classes don't let you use calculators at all. So a cheap Casio/Sharp from your JC bookstore quite suffices for homework.

As for handphones, bring yours along if its a new model that you really don't want to part with. Make sure your charger is a travel charger, however, ie. it must work at 110V. You'll probably also need some travel adaptors to fit it into a US power point.

Another important point about handphones: the phone you're bringing over from Singapore must support the GSM1900 (I think) network as that's the one used in the US. Bottom line is to get a "tri-band" phone. Also, some networks here don't use GSM but use an alternate protocol called CDMA, so by using a GSM phone you're slightly limiting your subscription options. But in general it won't be too much of a problem.

Computer-related : Laptop, computer parts.

Laptop, if you own one. Hard disks, other computer components: if you're bringing them along you probably know what you're doing so I don't need to elaborate. But a word of advice: keep all storage stuff in hand-carry, that way there's a lesser chance of them getting affected by magnetic rays and being corrupted.

Food-related : Basic set of plastic chopsticks, spoon, bowls. Instant noodles, luxury item.

The "things NOT to bring" section is more important when it comes to food, so make sure you read that. The cutlery is useful when you want to eat in your dorm (read: eat instant noodles), and from what I know they're cheaper in Singapore than here.

Make sure you get the durable plastic kinds that you can find in small shops owned by old aunties in the middle of Ang Mo Kio Central or equivalent; porcelian stuff may break. Instant noodles are available here (more commonly called ramen), but since most people are viciously loyal to a particular brand, you may not find that brand here and so bring it along.

As for the luxury item... food's important to Singaporeans, so just pack something you really like and won't be able to find here. For example, some ba gua (roasted pork slices), or even better, mooncakes, since the Mooncake Festival is just a few months away from when you arrive.

Documents : Passport with letter from Embassy, immigration documents, original A' Levels certificate, photostated copies of A' Levels syllabus, medical documents for CMU, proof of sponsorship for scholarship body, all documents sent by CMU.

This is the important list. Most important of all is your I-20 form, without which you can't even enter the US. The certificate is necessary when you're requesting AP credits for some of the courses. Medical documents particularly those involving immunization are needed by Health Services if you haven't satisfied all their requirements. While it isn't really necessary to bring every single thing CMU sent to you, its better to be safe then sorry; you may have left behind some important form stuck right at the bottom of one of the envelopes.

Sentimental stuff : Photographs, souvenirs, trinkets.

You'll miss home while you're here. Its good to have some things that bring back memories once in a while... after a year abroad a family photo will suddenly seem a lot more precious to you than it appears right now.

Textbooks : Cheap international or paperback versions of the textbooks for your upcoming courses.

International or paperback versions of textbooks can often be found at Clementi Bookstore (recommended) or other bookstores carrying tertiary textbooks. Why go to the trouble of finding the textbooks and carrying them over? Because we Singaporeans are cheapsk- i mean smart enough to find lobangs like this. Prices of textbooks in the US are almost definitely much more expensive than in Singapore. There's a very good reason why so many upperclassmen do it.

  • TJ's quick walkthrough to buying cheap textbooks (additional suggestions welcome):

1) Check out your course numbers.

2) Check what books you need using Textbook Inquiry at this link: http://bizservweb.pc.cc.cmu.edu/inquiry/depts.aspx

(or check around here if that link doesn't work http://bizservweb.pc.cc.cmu.edu/index.html)

3) Make a list of the books (ISBN Number, Title, Author, Edition (very important!)

4) With list in hand, head to your favourite bookstore.

5) Approach the hopefully-friendly cashier/staff for assistance in locating your books. DO NOT BE SHY! Finding the books by yourself is as difficult as finding a male in St Nicholas' Girls' School and as fun as a dead fish (did I mix the two comparisons up?). DO NOT WASTE YOUR OWN PRECIOUS TIME LEFT IN SINGAPORE!

6) Buy the books (duh).

7) If you didn't find them or they were out of stock, don't fret. Many many upperclassmen sell their used textbooks on the newsgroup cmu.misc.market. This is a great way to avoid paying US$100++ for a book that you may only read once.

  • DISCLAIMER: The author assumes no responsibility for the user buying the wrong books and ultimately wasting money. 95% of the time, the international edition will work fine as long as it's the same 'number-th' edition (eg 2nd Edition Int' Edition is USUALLY functionally the same as 2nd Edition). Also be absolutely sure that the title and author are correct.

Things NOT to Bring Along

Clothes : Too many clothes.

Basically, you can get clothes for reasonable prices over here, so don't transport your entire wardrobe over. All that's needed is a week's supply or so, save the rest of the space for more important stuff.

Outerwear : Winterwear.

Unless you've been to an area that's as cold as Pittsburgh is, most winter apparel you get in Singapore isn't thick enough for this part of the USA. Also, and very importantly, you don't need winterwear till late October earliest. By then, we would have already organized a trip to Grove City, where you can get all the jackets and trenchcoats you need for very cheap. I emphasize: very cheap. If you're thinking of bringing stuff from Singapore because you think it'll be more economical, it probably won't; in fact some of us buy stuff from Grove City to bring back to Singapore.

Footwear : Too many shoes, boots.

Same as the above, you can get stuff like this at Grove City. I got a good pair of Nike's for US$30, and Timberland boots are affordable as well. Bring too much stuff and you'll feel disappointed that you can't shop as much at Grove City. :P

Stationery : Paper, hole punch, binders, etc.

America uses letter-size paper, which is smaller than A4 paper, so there's no point in bringing foolscap pads along. Also, ring binders here are all 3-ring, which means your 2-hole hole punch will be useless. Rule of thumb: don't bring paper-related stuff. Even the staplers use different kinds of staples (slightly bigger), although you could possibly get the smaller types. You should get a chance to go shoppping at Office Depot (a big stationery chain) before your first day of classes starts, so don't worry about being unprepared.

Electrical appliances : Just about everything, from hair dryers and electric shavers to rice cookers.

USA uses a 110-volt power grid, whereas Singapore uses a 240-volt grid. This means that nearly all electrical appliances bought in Singapore won't work properly over here without using a transformer. Some may be "international" and work on 110 volts, but those aren't that common. By electrical appliances I refer to stuff that isn't electronic; laptops should work just fine as nearly all work on both 110V and 240V. You won't need much of such appliances here anyway; and if you do, you can buy them. Rice cookers are sold here, by the way, if your mom thinks they aren't.

Electronics, computer-related : Anything you perceive to be cheaper in Singapore.

You won't really save much by bringing electronics from Singapore over here; you can get quite a lot of stuff for really cheap prices, thanks to the plethora of budget online retailers. Ditto for computer hardware; better to buy it here.

Food-related : Chinese sauces, sweets, etc.

The most common misconception among people who've never been to Pittsburgh is that a lot of the foodstuffs you find in Singapore aren't available here. That's not really true. The Strip District, about a 40 minute busride away, has 2 stores selling all kinds of Asian (mainly Chinese) stuff, as well as others that cater to other ethnicities like Thai.

Here's a list of some things you can get here: Soy sauce, chili sauce (including Maggi chilli), white pepper, oyster sauce, Lee Kum Kee sauce packets, curry powder, tofu, frozen packets of tim sum, roti prata (yes, under the Springhome brand, from Singapore), pork floss, pandan leaves, instant noodles, milo, horlicks, Yeo's drinks, all kinds of Japanese tidbits ranging from Pocky to green tea ice cream, durian ice cream, durian wafers, durians (except they're frozen, don't smell right, and are extremely expensive)... the list goes on.

You'll probably even find some things from your primary school days that aren't available in Singapore anymore. So, basically ask us if something is available here before you bring it along. The only things that are less common are fresh foods, which you can't easily pack into your luggage anyway. Or things that are very exclusive to Singapore and the region, like nonya kuehs.

Okay.. that's about it. Happy packing!

Kevin adds:

Don't make the mistake of bringing too much clothes here. There are plenty of opportunities to buy them here at reasonable prices.

TJ adds:

One word: Indomee

A few more words: MECHANICAL PENCILS ARE A MUST, THESE CAVEMEN USE THE LOUSY WOODEN ONES!

Kevin adds:

YEAH!!!!! You said it!!! Buy me some Indomee!!!!

Mechanical pencils, rulerS (if u lose one u can only get lousy plastic ones or yucky metal ones here), G-tech pens (dun see them around here).

Marcus adds:

you can get like 20+ gtech for 15 bucks at costco.... quite decent price

Ai Qi adds:

To those living off campus: I suppose you'll most prob cook even though u might not cook now in singapore, or hardly know how to cook. Get some ba kuh teh packages n such for cooking.

Lionel adds:

There're some restrictions on what food produce you can bring into the US. Read the advisory below for more details. Don't fret for you can still bring along mooncakes and other bakery goods, ready-made recipe mixes etc... Bring along lots of Prima chicken curry powder! This is the most important food stuff that you should bring in! drool

Many fruits and vegetables are either prohibited from entering the United States or require an import permit (for commercial importers) or a phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin. Every fruit or vegetable must be declared to a CBP Officer and must be presented for inspection - no matter how free of pests it appears to be. Failure to declare food products can result in a $10,000 fine.

Meats, livestock, poultry, and their products are either prohibited or restricted from entering the United States, depending on the animal disease condition in the country of origin. Fresh meat is generally prohibited from most countries. Canned, cured, or dried meat is severely restricted from some countries. You can call the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, Import Division at (402) 221-7400, to get additional information on the admissibility of meat. See special guidelines for animal products from Canada below.

Bakery items, candy, chocolate, and cured cheese are generally admissible. Canned goods and goods in vacuum packed jars (other than those containing meat or poultry products)are also generally admissible if being imported for personal use.

Dairy items such as milk, yogurt, butter are generally admissible, although this is subject to change, depending on disease outbreaks. Eggs may be admissable, although frequent outbreaks of Exotic Newcastles Disease and avian flu make it very likely that they will be denied entry.

Fish, if it is for your personal use, is generally admissible.

Condiments such as oil, vinegar, mustard, catsup, pickles, syrup, honey, jelly, jam, etc., are generally admissible.

Derek adds:

regarding the bit about not bringing 2-hole punchers and files... actually, i've been using my trusty 2-hole puncher and box files all this while and experienced no problems whatsoever =)