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International Students

Packing for Your Educational Stay in Evansville, Indiana

Since many commercial airlines only allow two suitcases and a carry-on bag, packing for your long stay in the United States can be difficult. The following list should help you.

Clothing
Because so many different kinds of people make up the United States, clothing comes in a range of sizes and prices. You should find anything you need here to complete your wardrobe. Americans generally own a lot of clothes, but you should not feel pressure to keep up with them. While you may never see a friend wear the same shirt twice in one week, no one will care if you do.

Summer - June through August
The summers in Southern Indiana are hot and humid, and many students wear light, casual clothing. Shorts and T-shirts are common on campus. Many people wear athletic shoes (commonly called sneakers or tennis shoes), sandals or loafers (closed leather slip-on shoes). Some people go without socks, especially when they wear sandals.

Americans generally wear a summer outfit once and then discard it to be washed. If you want to follow this practice then you should bring several sets of summer clothing. Otherwise, you will have to launder your clothes constantly.

T-shirts or other light short-sleeved shirts
Shorts
khakis or other light weight long pants
comfortable shoes to wear everyday:
athletic shoes
sandals or loafers
Women might also consider bringing light dresses or skirts.

Fall - September through November
Fall can start hot and students continue to wear summer clothes as long as they can. When the weather begins to change, students wear khakis, sweat pants or jeans and a wide array of long-sleeved shirts, sweat shirts and sweaters. The primary concern of the American college student is comfort.

Pants
Several long-sleeved shirts
2-3 Sweaters
Light jacket

Winter - December through February
Evansville winters can be mild or positively frigid, expect anything from 50 °F to 5° below 0. They are generally unpredictable and people react differently to our weather. While students from southern climates shiver a little, students from colder places have no trouble adapting (though some think it's not cold enough!). It usually snows several times a season.

Heavy coat
Hat /gloves/scarf

Spring - March through May
Spring temperatures are similar to Fall. The weather is generally mild. Expect a lot of wind in March and rain in April and part of May.

Umbrella

Dressing for Special Occasions
You will want to bring or be prepared to buy at least one dressy outfit depending on your style and what you plan to do. You may be invited someplace which requires more formal clothing (a professor's home, the philharmonic, an award ceremony).

For men:

slacks
a dress shirt (long-sleeved with collar and buttons)
loafers or dress shoes
coat and tie (often optional)

For women:

slacks and dress shirt or dress/skirt
loafers or dress shoes stockings, dress shoes (high heels, nice slippers)

If you intend to pursue Optional Practical Training, business clothing will probably be necessary.

Many students bring an example of their country's traditional dress. Not only do the clothes remind them of home, but they wear them to special events sponsored by International Programs and Services or the International Club. Traditional dress can also help you teach your new American friends about your country.

Cooking and Kitchen Appliances
Many students opt to stay in apartments on or off campus and cook their own meals. Most cooking utensils and necessities for foreign cuisine can be found or ordered in Evansville at reasonable prices. If your cooking relies heavily on spices, you may want to bring some of these from home, however, since spices can be expensive. Please be aware of U.S. Customs regulations when bringing any foodstuffs into the U.S. For more information, click here to look at the Customs' list of restricted items.

Jewelry
While you might want to bring special jewelry, we advise against bringing anything extremely valuable. Think twice before packing anything that would hurt you if it were lost or stolen.

Money
Do not carry large amounts of cash. You run the risk of having irreplaceable funds lost or stolen. The safest way to bring funds to the U.S. is to carry traveler's checks made out in U.S. dollars, carry an Internationally-accepted ATM card (for retrieving funds from your home bank), or to have funds transferred from your country to a local bank.

Personal Belongings
Though you must choose carefully, you certainly want to bring some things from home to make your stay more comfortable and room more personal. Posters, pictures, postcards, dolls, pillows, quilts, toys are just a few of the things you could bring. American friends will enjoy seeing photos of your family, your home, and "everyday" life back at home.

Presents
Some students bring a few small, inexpensive presents to give to conversation partners, host family members, new friends, or other people who are especially helpful. No one will expect such gifts, so do not feel obliged. If you do bring presents, try to find something that represents your country.

Toiletries (soaps, hair care products, etc.)
Almost any item you need is available on or close to campus at a reasonable price, but most products are made by U.S. companies. If you have a favorite brand from home, bring it because you may not find it here.

8600 University Boulevard - Evansville, IN 47712-3596 - 812/464-8600

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