Packing for a year-long trip may feel daunting but not to worry! The CME alums have put together this comprehensive packing list for you:

  • Clothing
  • Appliances + Electronics
  • Phone
  • School Supplies
  • Home Goods + Bikes
  • Medicine
  • Money

And be sure to leave some room in your suitcase for new items you will accumulate, such as souvenirs from your travels or coursework you want to keep.

Fall/Spring Clothes

The weather is similar to Cambridge, MA in September/May. England is generally rainy but lucky for you, Cambridge is the least rainy city. Expect to have sudden light rainfall but major showers are infrequent.

Temperature + rainfall averages: http://www.worldweatheronline.com/Cambridge-weather-averages/Cambridgeshire/GB.aspx 

Winter Clothes

The winter weather in Cambridge, UK is similar to fall in Cambridge, MA: mild temperatures and occasionally damp and windy. Since colleges and academic departments are spread throughout the city, be prepared to spend a significant amount of time outside getting from one place to another. Some rooms, particularly, lecture halls aren't heated to the level you've grown accustomed to at MIT. Leave your biggest winter coat at home but pack lots of sweaters.

Formal Clothes

You will need formal attire for many occasions, including formal halls and matriculation photos. Expect to get dressed up at least twice a month. Suggested formal wear include:

Dress pants/skirts: best to bring at least one or two. 

Dress shirts/Nice blouses: instead of wearing a different formal dress for every occasion, bring lots of nice tops to mix and match with your dress pants/skirts.

Tuxedo/Gown: there are frequent enough black-tie events (i.e. events where the dress code requires a tuxedo) throughout the year that it may be in your interest to purchase a cheap tuxedo in the US. At about £30 a pop for a rental tux in Cambridge, it is a good investment to buy one if you'll need to wear one more than, say, three times and it is a lot cheaper by far to buy one in the US than to buy one in the UK. May Ball gowns can be quite similar to prom dresses so if you have a prom dress that you still fit into, you can bring that. You should be able to get away with wearing a knee-length gown if it's fancy enough.

1. Clothes tend to be more expensive in the UK than in the US, even for British brands like H&M. It's better to bring the clothes you need with you.

2. If you go home during Christmas break, you will have another opportunity to bring things to the UK. Consider waiting until then to bring your heavier coats/boots and formal wear for May Balls.

Appliances and Electronics

England runs on 240V and 50 Hz, which basically means that most of your electronic devices from the US can't be used in the UK. Laptops are safe to use with a basic plug converter (different and cheaper than a voltage converter). For run-of-the-mill electronics, like alarm clocks or irons, your best bet is to buy them in the UK because they'll be heavy and difficult to pack and require voltage converters to use them in the UK.

Phone

You can choose to 1) bring your phone from home or 2) buy a phone in the UK. For your phone to work in the UK, it must have a SIM card slot and cannot be a CDMA network phone. Cell phone plans are much cheaper in the UK than in the US so you will be saving a bundle. See this page for Selecting a Phone Plan.

Paper + Notebooks

The UK uses A4 size stationary (not the 8.5"x11" "letter" size paper that is used in the US), so don't bother bringing any notebooks or paper with you from the US; you'll want to buy all your folders, binders, hole punchers, etc. in England. As for other random school supplies (e.g. tape, stapler, pens, etc.), you could bring them with you from the US, but they will take up valuable space and weight in your luggage and you can easily buy them in Cambridge.

Textbooks

Most courses you will take, however, do not require the purchase of textbooks, and whatever you need (recommended reading) should be available in your college/department/university library. If you already have a textbook and you are convinced you will need it during the year, it may be in your interest to bring it with you. Textbooks are generally 10-20% cheaper in the UK than they are in the US. So if you are planning to buy new textbooks during your year in Cambridge, it may be a good idea to buy them there.

Calculators

Nearly every Cambridge departments has strict requirements about the calculators that can be used during exams. These include CASIO fx 100D, CASIO fx 115 (any version) or CASIO fx 570 (any version except the fx 570MS). These calculators are best purchased from returning CME students or at the department itself (though you could check e-bay or online sites, you might get lucky). Each calculator must have an approval sticker on it from the department; check with the teaching office to get this sticker. It's in your best interest to become familiar with using the calculator (instead of using your TI-89 for all your examples papers work all year) so you'll be comfortable with it for exams. 

Bedding

When your College assigns you your room, it will also provide information on bedding and amenities. Some colleges will supply and change sheets once a week while others rent sheets. The cost of renting linens can be high, around £25 a term. A good alternative is to buy a cheaper set from the department stores in town or bring sheets with you. 

Dishes and Cookware

It is advisable to buy dishes, utensils and kettles in Cambridge, because they are cumbersome, heavy, and too fragile to pack. Also, since you are probably only going to need one or two sets, it won't be that expensive to purchase. Some kitchens in your College will already have utensils, dishes, etc., so you might not even need to buy any.

Bikes and Accessories

If you plan to buy a bike in Cambridge, you will need a U-Lock and bike. Bike theft is the common and if you cycle without lights past sundown, you will be fined by the police. Consider packing the lock and lights with you because they will be considerably more expensive in the UK.

Medicine

You won't find medicine brands such as Advil, Nyquil, and Tylenol in the UK. Unless you are familiar with the ingredients of the medicine you take, you might want to bring the brands you trust or be prepared to look them up. (One note: Nurofen is Ibuprofen.) Then again, they have all of the same types of products in the UK that you find in the US and you can always ask friends or classmates what is what.

Money

Bring at least $100 in cash to have on hand. You will be able to use a currency exchange kiosk in case there is a problem with your ATM card.

 

 

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