Pre-Departure

What to carry, what not to carry is a consolidated list of things to bring while travelling to any country. Remember to maintain your baggage within the weight limits as required by the airlines you travel. Otherwise you may have to pay huge sum at the airport itself once you are out of INDIA no one bothers how much of weight is your luggage. Usually, the limit is 40 kg divided into two suitcases, and 8 kg in a cabin bag. (There are fixed standards for the size of this bag too!) It is always recommended that you should check with the airline authorities to know about particular luggage limitations, since these are frequently changed by several regulations.
If you get mobile phone from India it would be good and advisable as you can cut your cost and save some money.

List of things to carry while travelling:

The following list has been generalized to meet the requirements of students hailing from various geographic locations of India. Specific comments are made as and when necessary. Needless to say, our family can be a good guide for us in such matters as this.
PS: Remove the batteries from all your electrical appliances such as calculators, clocks, shavers or you will be forced to do it at the airport.
Where to put stuff:
All your original documents must be in your carry-on luggage in a harmonium folder.
Photocopies of all original documents must be in each of your check-in bags.
Expecting the worst, you should have enough stuff in your carry-on luggage to survive for a day if both your checked-in bags get lost.
Leave sufficient photocopies of all documents especially i20, passport and mark sheets at home.

1) Kitchen & Food

In most cases, mothers would be the best judges for this section, fortunate for us.
a) Pressure cooker (3litres/5litres): If you have decided about your roommates in advance, plan to get ONLY ONE OR TWO (two being the maximum) pressure cookers for the apartment. Almost all students tend to buy an electric rice cooker soon after they land; it is not very expensive, and it proves to be a good and reasonable investment. A pressure pan/cooker which can accommodate an idly stand might be an ideal choice for students who might want to make idlies. Do not forget to get 2-3 spare gaskets and/or safety valves or other wearable/replaceable parts that suit the pressure cooker you may bring.
b) Utensils: You can buy a good set of steel/nonstick utensils (that can be used for cooking) anywhere for a reasonable price. If you prefer to get some utensils from India anyway, get at least some vessels of various sizes – to store and to cook. If space/weight is a constraint, reduce the number of utensils you carry – you may buy them after settling in.
Avoid getting steel utensils since they are painful to clean, most students here use non-stick pans which cost about 20$.
It would be a good idea to get in touch with your future roommates and decide upon the utensils. Almost everything else is available and it would be a sheer waste of space packing in too many utensils.
c) Raw materials for cooking (ask your mother or whoever might cook):
(Please note: When it is said “as per preference”, it means that the items enlisted are unavailable except in Indian stores; see the note above.)
i) Do not bring rice, not even in small quantities.
ii) Sambar/Rasam powder may be brought as per preference, quantities ~1 kg each.
iii) Tamarind (1-2 kg, preferably seedless) and/or tamarind paste might be necessary.
iv) Haldi/Turmeric (250 gms), hing/asafetida (20-30 gms), etc. might be necessary for at least a few students.
v) Mustard seeds (raee), cumin seeds (jeera), etc., would be among the necessary commodities for a few sections of students. Around 0.5-1 kg of each should meet a moderate requirement.
vi) Dried curry leaves might be a good choice for some; they do not take up much space or weight. If you are bringing this, make sure the leaves are thoroughly dry before you pack them, as even little wetness can attract fungus. (Coriander can be bought locally!)
vii) Some students may also want to get coriander and cumin powder(s) (available as a mixture of both too), quantities ~1 kg, and cardamom (elaichi), cloves, papads (2-3 packets), etc.
viii) Get all the pickles (if you bring this, make sure that the packing is good and leak-proof), chutneys, or edible powders and 5-6 packets of masalas (Garam Masala, Meat Masalas, whole spices or Khara Masala, Chole Masala – recommended, because chole is cheaply available here and is cooked frequently, Pav Bhaji Masala – recommended, because fast to cook) as you can. (There is always a risk of they getting left out at the port of entry or somewhere in the transit because of restrictions on the type of luggage you bring in, but that is really very rare – you do not need to declare any food items such as these.)
ix) Get rava/suji/poha and small packets of salt, sugar and red chilli powder, since they are very useful in the beginning.
d) Miscellaneous:
Grater, a small chopping board, a pair of kitchen tongs, sieve (for atta/flour), tea/coffee filter (personal choice), and knives .A peeler can prove to be useful anyway.
e)Make sure you do not carry any knives or peeler in your cabin baggage! If you can get one MIXI which would be help full and get connectors as connectors are costly here
f) You might need deep fry pans or flat pans for your use in the kitchen. (Nonstick cookware is the best choice!) Remember that all your cookware should be useful to cook for 4 persons at a time, without mentioning any “guests”. You may buy one after you land here, if you cannot accommodate one in your baggage.
g) Sweets & Savories:
save your luggage space for something more lasting, say, pickles. And, also be informed that sweets or any foodstuff may be disallowed anywhere on the transit when your bags are scrutinized.

2) General Wear:

a) Get more casual dresses, like T-shirts, jeans, cargos, khakis, etc. (Regular fit is the best for guys. Avoid tight-fits/bell-bottoms if you do not want to stand out from others!). 10-15 T-shirts/casual shirts(Which is more comfortable for you), and 5-8 tracks/jeans(Note: you need to be more comfortable in those things if you are comfortable in tracks get 2 jeans they are more enough for a year and get more tracks or shorts or ¾ ) are a minimum suggested lot.
b) Formals, Get 1-2 ties; a blazer/suit is optional. (Either a blazer or a suit is recommended.) If you are getting a blazer, get a matching tie and suitable formal trousers that can go with the blazer. If you are getting a suit, get a matching tie. Take care that your formal shoes would look fine with the rest of the formal attire. A business-style black suit is recommended, if you are considering bringing one.
c) Shoe polish and shoe polishing brush for formal shoes.

3) Seasonal Wear:

a) A leather jacket is not suggested for protection from weather. Get a stuffed jacket, but without fur on the outside (rather, the “inner” outside)! The bottom line is “get something to serve for both cold and rain” cause here it rains and becomes cold. Not much snowfall (…unlike a not-very expensive leather jacket or a fur-covered jacket. Wear the jacket in the flight – it not only increases your luggage carrying space but also might be necessary for somewhat low temperatures you would feel inside the flight!
b) (Specialized) Thermal wear is NOT necessary. Get a sweater or two. Get a pair of gloves too; you may want them to match with your jacket

4) Miscellany:

a) Get at pairs of traditional (Indian) dress. Remember that there would be more than a few occasions a year where you might have to represent your culture. And you might prefer not to repeat the same attire on all such occasions.
5) Most students do their laundry once in a fortnight, or even less frequently! Apply this estimate to all the garments you bring, including miscellaneous items like socks, kerchiefs, undergarments, etc.
a) Get a pair of formal leather shoes and/or a semi-formal pair of shoes that can serve dual purpose. Apart from that, get a pair of sneakers/sport shoes for regular use. Sprint shoes, canvas shoes, or other special purpose shoes may be bought here as per personal preference. We suggest you get 1-2 sets of slippers/sandals to be worn on your ethnic dress, and 1-2 sets of regular slippers.
Toiletry:
a) Get a mug for use in the bathroom as you all know here we use paper rolls, so for the initial it would be helpful until you get adjusted to the situations here. You may not need a bucket anyway, and if need be, you may buy here.
b) Get soapboxes. Soapboxes are not very uncommon in the stores here, but the soapboxes do not generally have drain outlets for remnant water after use!
c) Tongue cleaners may be classified among things that are not available .Get about a half a dozen to dozen tongue cleaners, depending on the type/material of tongue cleaners you prefer to use. Do not carry metal tongue cleaners in the cabin baggage – if it is sharp, it can be considered as a “security threat”! (Yes, there were such cases in the past!)
d) Talcum powders and hair oils are among the rare commodities here, unfortunate for some! Get your choicest ones, even if it is the seemingly “most common” Parachute Coconut Oil or Denim Talc. (Well, actually, you would not get coconut oil for your hair anywhere than in an Indian store, though something similar might appear with a strong odor in local stores!)
e) One can buy one’s bath soaps, shampoos/conditioners, toothpastes, toothbrushes, shaving foam (or a shaving gel/cream), razor/cartridges, nail cutter (don’t forget this!), talcum powder, deodorants/perfumes, etc. here or there. The costs are not very different (Though in most cases, prices for all these might be just a bit cheaper in India even). If you have been loyal to particular brands, you might want to carry a few numbers of each of those for initial use. You may not ever need a detergent cake while you are here, though you might want to carry one. Do not carry detergent powder; liquid detergent is cheaper here!

Suggested Items to Pack

• Toiletries (travel sizes)
• Durable walking shoes or hiking boots
• Backpack with a hip strap, sturdy stitching, padded shoulder straps, compartmental bag, waterproof bag (if not water resistant, look into sealer spray) especially on the bottom of the bag
• Clothes: bring less and wash more often
  • Pack dark clothes that don’t wrinkle
  • Avoid delicates
  • Bring waterproof shoes
  • Think layers
  • Wear Polypropylene or other fast drying material
  • Be attentive to local attire
  • Zip lock bags
• Camera
• Phone with alarm or clock with alarm
• First aid kit with Neosporin
• Any medicines or pain killers
• Sunglasses
• If you have contacts, bring extra pairs, plus your glasses in a case
• Reading material and music for the trains and waiting
• Address list of contacts (International Office, family and friends)
• Notebook and pen for journaling

Entertainment and Missing subjects

Get your HDD with loaded movies or songs with out any fear it helps you a lot here when you feel bored as subscribing is too expensive do not get panic of piracy no one bothers about them at airport you can keep that in laptop bag or cabin bag .. Which doesn’t really matter here also make sure you get XP or Windows 7 cds mainly software’s which you use don’t forget ..IF you forget you will be in great trouble when they are needed.. and most important thing is divide pickels into two parts and keep them in two bags at port of entry if they want to inspect the pickels show one bag and forget about other as we should not get some pickels like tomato and others …
If you are going for travelling card the best one I would say is centrum as I have seen many cards like Axis or HDFC or ICICI but personally would prefer centrum as they charge less than 20c on the market rate like xe money or internet rate
Next all expenses depend on how you spend your money which means the way you tackle it.
PS: Your life your money, be conscious about money initially

• Don’t take a lot of stuff, especially when you travel. Pack light. Even if you think to pack light, you’ll over pack, so only take the essentials. You can usually buy anything you need.
• Bring pictures of home: family, friends, etc. You will get homesick and there will be times when you’ll really enjoy looking at them.
• Take extra passport photos. You’ll need them for transportation passes, program or institution information, etc.
• Bring gifts for host students and families. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or bulky. It’s simply a small gesture and token of your appreciation. A gift that is connected to your hometown, culture, hobbies–even just something that you can tell a personal story about–can help break the ice and start a comfortable conversation.
• Read up on the countries you plan to visit and bring a good travel guide.
• Talk to former study abroad students who have gone through your program or have studied abroad. Talk to them before, during, and after your study abroad experience. It’ll help speaking to someone who can relate and give you applicable advice.
• Keep a copy of your ATM card, credit card, and passport at your home base (host family, dorm, apartment) with the numbers to your bank, credit card company, and home country embassy, in case they are stolen.
• Let your bank and credit card company know that you will be out of the country and how long you will be out.
• Ask your bank where your ATM card will be accepted.
• Approve someone at home to access your bank account.
• Carry a calling card so that you can call and cancel ATM and credit cards quickly.

Keep Your Money Close (easy to reach, but hard to steal)

• Keep your wallet in the front pocket or hooked to a belt loop.
• Carry your purse like a messenger bag.
• Use neck pouches or money belts; keep all your important items on you.
• Distribute money; don’t have it all in one location.
• When sitting down and your bag is not on you, place the bag on your lap and put the strap around your leg.
• When standing in a crowd put your backpack in front of you or put your back to a wall.
• Use a safety pin to lock your zippers.

The Experience

• Travel as much as you can. Soak up the atmosphere and culture. Take as many photos as you can and write a journal, so you can remember everything you saw and everything you felt.
• Plan your flight to arrive in the morning or early afternoon.
• It can be difficult to arrive in a foreign city at night.
• Memorize a few key phrases in the local language of each country you are visiting (Hello. Do you speak English? Where is _____?).
• Be confident when traveling. Fake it if necessary. Pickpockets and scam artists go after the most likely target: people with big fold out maps or people looking through their pockets and backpack for cash.
• Be suspicious of people who are too friendly and too willing to help you.
• Plan things out, but be flexible if things change.
• Estimate your costs (costs per day, what you want to see in each area) and balance your spending so you don’t run out of money halfway through your trip.
• Know how much you are spending by understanding the currency conversion in each country.
• Don’t be shy about speaking a new language. Just get out there and give it a try. No matter how many mistakes you make, you’ll get better. You will get your point across even if your grammar isn’t correct. Practice, be patient, and get out of your comfort zone.
• With leaving friends and family, traveling to an unknown place, and meeting new people, studying abroad may be one of the hardest things you have ever done thus far. But, it may become one of the greatest things. It might be tough adjusting in the beginning but after that initial shock wears off, you’ll be fine. Trust us, just give it a shot and be patient.
• You will be homesick but it quickly goes away and before you know you’ll be back home and will wish you were still studying abroad. Take advantage of everything.
• It’ll take some time but you’ll adjust to the culture. Be open to the differences and be outgoing. Get involved in program or school activities.
• Move outside your comfort zone. Meet as many people as possible. Try not to choose only students from your home country/school as friends because you are already comfortable with them. If you do, you’ll be missing out on a lot.
• It’s a different system in your new community, country, culture, etc. You can’t plan and prepare for every difference. Just be calm and enjoy the experience. No matter what, you will be a different person when you get back. Allow yourself to experience new things, to grow personally, and to learn.

Source: Karan Jain in Quora
https://www.quora.com/As-an-international-student-from-India-that-is-going-to-Melbourne-in-Australia-what-are-the-essentials-I-must-carry-with-me-Any-advice-or-tips-that-will-help-me-once-Im-there