In this blog, Sonya San, an International Student at UL, discusses the things that she wished she had known before packing her luggage to bring to Ireland. Not sure what the essentials are? Read on to find out what to pack, and what you can leave behind!

Packing your luggage before coming to Limerick can be an arduous task. To be honest, I had spent weeks packing mine. Not only I had limited space in my luggage, but there was also a mere 30kg of baggage weight limit. Despite trying my very best to pack what was essential to me, I later realised that there were quite a bit of things which weren’t necessary. Now let me share with you a few things I wish I knew when packing my luggage!

There’s no need to bring a winter jacket

Winter coats or jackets can be very heavy and bulky. Bring a light down jacket, or a windbreaker and layers will do. You wouldn’t want to waste precious luggage space and weight allowance on winter coats as you can buy them here after you arrive. Besides, winter coats and jacket can be much cheaper here. (Comparing to where I come from – Malaysia).

Pack little toiletries

One mistake I made was bringing a whole bottle of hair conditioner. I overestimated the amount of shower products I would need until I could get them in Ireland. So, my advise is to really go for only what is necessary!

Check all electrical appliances beforehand

I brought a brand new electrical steamer/rice cooker but once I arrived, it could not function at all. It would be best to double-check them before packing it into your luggage. Check the wattage of any appliance you want to bring with you, and make sure that if the plug is not compatible with Irish sockets that you bring an adaptor.

Pick a lightweight luggage bag.

If you’re buying a new luggage bag, take note of the weight of the bag itself. Every extra weight counts, so less bag weight means that you have more space for your items!

Bring an item that reminds you of home.

If you are someone who would miss home quite often like me, there’s no harm in bringing a small item that would ease that homesickness. I personally brought a little pillow that I have always kept by my side.

This list can go on, but these are the main things I realised after arriving in Ireland.

Safe travels!