Things to bring

Here's a list of things you should probably bring along from India. Note that this list tries to be as thorough as possible. You might not want to shop for everything in here. Keeping in mind the luggage space and weight constraints, you may want to consider the possibility of buying certain items in the US. This would depend entirely on your priority and preferences.
Following items should definitely find a way in your baggage. These are indispensable.

1. All Important Documents.
2. Clothing.
3. Some food items.
4. Utensils, as you will have to cook here.
5. All necessary medication.
6. Some cash.
7. Miscellaneous Items.
   

Pack these items well and label them carefully. Also read the list of items NOT to bring.

Documents

• Passport, I-20, visa.
• Driver’s license.
• International Driving Permit, if possible.
• Medical certificates and proofs of vaccination.
• Transcripts.
• Degree certificate or provisional certificate.
• Offer letter(s) from University of Maryland, College Park
  

Note: Make sure your vaccination proof says that you have received two shots of MMR* . If it doesn’t, you'll have to take one here at the University Health Center, which will cost you a hefty $60

* In India, typically only one MMR shot is given. Hence check the details from your family physician.

Clothing

• Bring clothes for cool, not cold weather: full sleeve shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts.
• Do NOT bring heavy winter clothes - they may not be suitable for the winter weather here and will occupy a lot of space in your luggage. You'll need to buy winter clothes in late September or early October.
• For students arriving in Fall, it will be fairly warm in August.
• Get cotton clothes or blended ones as it is really hot in summer here.
• A raincoat and/or casual jacket, umbrella, woolen gloves, cap would be very useful.
• Get a few of pairs of shorts, towels (3-4), socks.
• Shirts (preferably half-sleeve), cotton trousers. Full-sleeve shirts would be useful in winter.
• For girls, cotton skirts, trousers, tops etc.
• You could also get traditional Indian dresses for special occasions.
• Get a pair of sneakers and one pair of formal shoes. Bathroom slippers (called "flip-flops" here) and a pair of casual slippers or sandals would be very useful.
• It is advisable to get around 15 pairs of undergarments as it helps in reducing your trips to the laundry (though most apartments have laundry machines right in the basement of the building).
• One pair of formals for interviews etc.
  
  

Food Items

• Indian spices of your choice, though you can get most of them here.
• Home-made items like pickles etc.
• To survive for the first few days, bring a few noodle packets. Get a few Instant food packets, these become handy many a times
• You can bring few groceries – Rice, Dal, Salt, Sugar, Tea/Coffee in case you are going to move to new apartment right away just enough to survive few days so that you don’t have to run for grocery shopping the next day.
• We have Indian groceries here to cater to your needs. You can get rice, varieties of ‘Dal’s at very reasonable price.
• Please have all the food items packed tightly so that they don't open up when your baggage is thrown about.
• Get a BOX of sweets for your seniors! :)

• 
  Vicks, Iodex, vitamin tablets, Crocin, Disprin, Nebasulf powder, Crepe bandage (1" and 2" size), band-aid assorted box, pain killers. Also personal medication (if on any) and medical history papers. Antiseptic cream, relaxyl etc. Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses, etc.
• GET PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ALL THE MEDICINES YOU TAKE WITH YOU. (US Customs problem otherwise).
• GET A COMPLETE MEDICAL CHECKUP DONE BEFORE GETTING HERE. (Medical facilities are pretty expensive here, specially dental and optical)
  

Money

• You should have enough money to arrange for housing, etc. and to survive at least the first month (until the first paycheck, if you have an assistantship).
• Bring $1500 - $2000 in travelers' checks.
• Bring $100 - $150 in cash. $10 bills or the smaller.
• $1 bills will be required to pull out trolleys in the airport.
  

If you cannot get cash, travelers' checks can be encashed at the airport for a fee.

Utensils
Living with roommates will mean that you will often have to cook for three or more people. So bring large utensils, even though they are a pain to carry. Steel utensils can be expensive here.

• At least one large pressure cooker, two extra gaskets and safety valves.
• A frying pan, a saucepan, a kadai.
• Plate, spoon, glass, etc. for yourself.
  

Here is a more exhaustive list:

• 5-liter pressure cooker with additional gaskets, valves and weights.
• 2 -3 additional vessels that would fit inside your pressure cooker.
• 2 -3 stainless steel vessels for other purposes.
• A non-stick frying pan or ‘kadai’.
• 2 -3 ladles or spatula
• A couple of lids for these vessels.
• A couple of plates preferably porcelain as you would get used to the microwave concept here.
• A porcelain mug or cup for your coffee or tea.
• Tongs to hold vessels.
• Plastic boxes to keep food items like spices.
• Stainless steel spoons and forks.
  

Bring utensils which are preferably microwave safe.
These items would be sufficient to get you started. Also, if you have already confirmed an accommodation with people already living here, it might be better to ask them what you should bring since they probably already have some items in their household, and might be needing certain things in particular. If you have decided about roommates, it would be a good idea to decide beforehand who is supposed to bring what. This can avoid repetition and also make it easy to fit in the bags.

Other Stuff

• If you are interested in music, get as many cassettes/CD's as possible. You get cassette/CD-players and walkmans for a good price over here. CD's also have the advantage that they can be played on your computer (which you most probably will buy, sooner or later).
• If you play any instrument and it's light, you could get it unless there is a weight constraint.
• A few pens, pencils, ruler etc. just to get started. Stationary is pretty cheap here. Do not overload your baggage with notebooks and paper.
• Get Indian editions of the necessary text books as the U.S. editions are pretty costly. Check this list, and if you still do not know what to get, find out by emailing your seniors or departmental contacts here. However, do not overload your baggage with books - you might end-up paying almost the same amount of money (as much as $300 !!!) in excess-baggage fee while checking-in for the flight, as you would have paid had you bought the books in the U.S.
• A scientific calculator that you might have used in your undergraduate course.
• A small sewing kit.
• A good book for cooking. It would be better if you practice cooking basic food items like rice, sambhar, dal etc. for a few days.
• A couple of locks.
• AA battery cells for your walkman, discman, digital camera etc.
  

Packing

• Be extremely careful of the weight restrictions. refer to the website of the airline by which you will be traveling for the latest baggage constraints (weight/size/number)Put a photocopy of all your documents in each luggage item.
• Carry original travel documents (passport, etc.) on your person, not in your luggage. Carry other original documents in the cabin bag and not in the check – in luggage
• All sharp and pointed objects (like scissors, knives, screw drivers etc.) should NOT be kept in the cabin bag.
• Distribute your money - keep a certain amount in each piece of luggage, rather than keeping it all together. In your cabin baggage, keep clothing for 2-3 days, just in case your checked-in baggage arrives here later than you do.
• Have your name and destination and route and flight and date in all bags. Have them prominent and bold enough so that you can identify them easily from an ocean of similar ones. Some guys even put fluorescent labels, ribbons.
• Make sure you have the address where you will be going to and the telephone number, inside and on your bags and on your person. Be prepared to go on your own if nobody turns up at the airport to receive you. Here is the link to Super Shuttle service from BWI and IAD
• Please inform one of the SCI orientation members through a local telephone booth (you need to have quarters to make a local call here) incase no-one turns up.
  

Thing NOT to bring

• DO NOT GET ANY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES FROM INDIA. It is 110 volts AC/60Hz in the US, so Indian electrical appliances do not work. Otherwise, you will need to buy an electrical power converter (approx $20-$30).
• Do not get too many clothes hangers (you might get a couple for starters, but they are of a different size here, and are available very cheap).
• Do not overload your baggage with blank notebooks, file folders etc.