Thread: Things to Bring with you

Ok so I will make a list of the things that you should bring with you to campus in January

-Printer ( you will be printing loads of power points lectures)
-your favorite toiletries they maybe a little expensive here on the island
-bathing suit for your incoming catamaran trip (if you like snorkeling that is)
-Bring a positive attitude believe me when I tell you that there is minimal pampering like the states
-If you are a coffee drinker make sure to bring your own coffee maker, limited places where they sell coffee near the school.
-Umbrella if you like to go out at night, it usually rains at night.
-Sneakers, rugged terrain around the school and no sidewalks.
-Don't forget the laptop, good for all your classes and the campus is wireless so you will be able to access the internet from anywhere on campus
-Sheets, although most of the apartments already have sheets for the beds
-Desk lamp for late night studying (as you can see I am up at this time)
-Sufficient money to last at least 2 weeks
-Do all of your paperwork for the bank prior to coming to campus since they may take longer than usual to open an account at RBC and Scotia bank. The NY office will have all the information. Unless you plan on sending your refund check back to the states.
-Anything that will make you happy music, pictures of family

If I can think of anything else I will post.

P.S. If at all posibble start reading. Loads of material you will be better prepared if you at least prep yourself and refresh on the basics with Anatomy, Histo and especially Biochem

P.S. Happy Voyage Oh yeah and the landing on the plane is a little slow when you get to island have no fears its just like that.

I'm going to add my opinion on bringing money. I really don't think that a two week supply is sufficient. Two weeks supply will be fine if your financial aid check is waiting for you when you register but if there is any delay, it may not be enough. I'd suggest one month, instead. That month's worth should also include one month's rent.

As for the other items on the list, I can't disagree with any of them. They are all good suggestions.

Don't forget to bring your camera loads of pics to take. Regretfully I forgot mine at home.

good idea ButterflyMD

I have one, which would have been a lifesaver.

Bring a Calling Card.

When I first came down to the Carib, I thought that my cell phone would work..... and soon realized when I landed that it didn't..... therefor I wasn't able to tell my family that I made it safely for over 2 days before I could buy a prepaid cell phone. And.... calling collect from a Carib Island will cost you one of your kidney's

Also, bring an external hard drive. Very nice to have, to store the previous semesters info, and all the pics from the camera, etc

UMHS actually gives incoming student a prepaid cell phone in order to call home so that will help. I know the feeling of the cell phone not working on the island I wanted so badly to use my BB. It worked for me while I was in Jamaica but it does not here for some reason. I am suprised that your phone does not work on the cayman island since you are so close to the US I would have thought differently.

Originally Posted by butterflymd

UMHS actually gives incoming student a prepaid cell phone in order to call home so that will help. I know the feeling of the cell phone not working on the island I wanted so badly to use my BB. It worked for me while I was in Jamaica but it does not here for some reason. I am suprised that your phone does not work on the cayman island since you are so close to the US I would have thought differently.

Here at SMU we get prepaid phones too, but I came early, so I was on my own. That mixed together with ALL of our 6 bags not arriving with us when we came here equated to one heck of a weekend.

Some other random items that I'm glad I brought.... were
nice spatulas (that don't melt)
pizza cutter
can opener
small stuff like this, which is really cheap in the US, can be pretty expensive down in the Carib
also bring extra pairs of flip flops, because due to the rain.... you can end up going through a pair of flip flops really quick
pre-order and bring plenty of sets of contacts. The humidity, combined with the wind, and the long hours of you studying at night will all equate to you going through your contacts faster than you normally do
My wife and I also brought our two favorite pillows, and am very glad that we did

If you have kids
Bring clothes and shoes/sandals that they will grow into, because stores that sell baby/childrens clothes are going to be pricey.
2-3 Big Bottles of Infant/Childrens Tylenol. This was always good to have, since over the counter Tylenol, etc is pricey and in smaller bottles.

SHOP.kn

This link may be helpful in deciding what to bring. It gives comparisons on the cost of gasoline as well as various food items. (NO! Do NOT bring gasoline! ) You do have to remember that the prices are listed in EC dollars so convert EC$2.6882=US$1.00.

Although it is far from critical and you may not have much time to make use of it, it also lists the movies that are currenly playing at the cineplex. Again, prices are in EC$. (Except for cars and apartments, local prices on the island are almost always given in EC dollars.)

In terms of bringing pets (dogs specifically), how tidious is the process? I heard the island is really stringent when it comes to importing pets.

MikeLE,
You asked this same question in another thread. I answered it there.

If anyone else is curious about the answer, I'd suggest they search ValueMD for the answer. We've covered this a couple of times.

There are 3 major mobile carriers on the island; bmobile, digicell, and chipi. All will give free phones to UMHS students as they compete for your business. Service has been impressive on all three networks. I received a bmobile phone in my welcome bag and a digicell phone the next day from the rep that was handing them out during the first week of class. I purchased a chipi prepaid card for my US phone when I arrived at the airport which was unnecessary because there was a housing rep from the school waiting for me upon arrival. Service was continuous even during a power outage. I also tried the sim cards from these phones in my ATT unlocked phone from the states and worked fine. I know that at most other islands including Grenada, Saba, and St. Marteen the competition is less or non-existent and as a result higher call rates with infrequent specials and deals, not to mention no free phone. You will be pleasantly surprised when you arrive and receive your welcome packet with your name on it which includes a bag with a long list of goodies from local businesses including your phone to quickly get you on your feet.