Suggested Items to Bring
*edited recently
Clothing: Lightweight clothing, casual shorts and t-shirts, (most items should be ones that you do not necessarily care about bringing back home with you…they may get bleached, ruined, or lost in the laundry, they will wear out by the time you are leaving). Some places come with a washer in which case you have will have more control over how the laundry is done. Students dress in shorts and shirts until third semester and then they will need dress-up clothes at least one to two times a week.  Fourth semester students dress up three to four times a week. For students, bring a sweatshirt or hoodie because the classrooms get very cold.  If you like wearing jeans or pants, bring those with you as they help to protect you from bugs. You should bring a couple of nicer outfits for church or going out, or special occasions - there will always be some kind of occassion. Fourth semester has a banquet that people dress up for…some go all out, so something nice (formal) for that is good to bring.  Bring a couple of swim suit and cover ups.If you plan on going swimming in the pool or the beach, more than likely your swim suit will fade or get warped so having a back up is ideal.

Shoes: A lot of people have Keen sandals, which are great for all the walking that you do and they are waterproof. You don’t need to buy Keens, just a good quality sandal that’ll withstand rain and rough roads.  A comfortable pair of flip flops are a must (I wear mine everyday and go through one pair a semester), and a pair of tennis shoes (there is a gym, tennis courts, basketball, and volleyball courts). If you bring dressy shoes, ones without heels are best if you are walking a lot (bring a nice pair for the banquet). Many of the students wear heels for the clinicals, which is fine around campus. The floors in all the apartments are tile, something to wear that will soften your step is nice (that’s why I like flip flops so much). The terrain is extremely rough and you will want really good shoes.

Household Items

Bedding: Full size sheets (most if not all apartments have full size beds). A light blanket (if you use the A.C. a room can get cold, and in the winter you might cover up, but maybe not). Mattress covers, pillows, pillow case covers.

Kitchen: Any gadget/tool that you really like and use at home, because it might not be available here. Measuring cups, measuring spoons, oven thermometer, and a very good knife are difficult to find on the island so you may want to pack these.  Find out if your place is furnished and maybe be prepared with the essentials plates, cups, bowls, silverware, if it isn’t included. All these types of items are available at the stores here with limited selection and cheap quality. You will probably do a lot of cooking on the island, most of it from scratch, so items that make cooking from scratch easier will really help. Cheap pots and pans from Walmart or other discount stores are cheaper to ship than to buy here.  A good non-stick pan is also hard to find.  If you can plug it in it will cost 2-3 times more on the island than in the States. You may want to bring a blender, crock-pot, coffee-pot or a french press, George Foreman grill, sandwich maker, electric tea kettle, mixer, etc. Many of these items are available used for good prices if you can arrive early.  Bring a cooler (collaspible is more convenient) to store your cold produce if you plan to make trips to Roseau.  It is also great to have to pack lunches for your family, for day trips or picnics.

Toiletries: Shampoo and Conditioner if you have a particular brand you like, otherwise some brands are available here just at higher prices. I like to go to the fourth semester sales and stock up on these things. Tampons (note that card board applicators sometimes absorb the moisture from the humidity) and feminine products, any prescriptions you need, make-up (water proof is the best), hair accessories, deodorant (lots of it), and talcum powder (especially if you have fair skin and are susceptible to heat rash).

Miscellaneous

Battery powered alarm clock, little calculator, U.S. extension cords (small ones), power strips, surge protectors for computers, external hard drives (the students use a lot of computer space), butane lighters to light gas stoves, pam cooking spray, anything to occupy your time (hobbies), plastic ziplock baggies (it’s nice to store food in gallon size bags so that bugs can’t get in), garbage sacks (some are available here), clorox wipes (nice to have), scrubbies for dishes or cleaning, stain remover, bug repellent, sun screen, large durable beach type bag for carrying heavy loads of groceries or market items, hair cutting clippers (if that’s your thing, but there are places to get your hair cut.) an iPod, a second laptop, a printer, a desk lamp, swiffer (it’s nice to have but not a necessity), 3M plastic wall hooks in various size (the walls are cement so it’s difficult to drill holes), fridge magnets.

Emergency items: First aid kit, band aids good ones that stick even on sweaty skin, camping lantern (power goes out a lot), candle holders (candles are readily available, but you have to be creative keeping them up), Flashlights, batteries for them, web cam, head set to use on the computer to talk on Skype or MSN, Cordless telephone. Another Idea for a phone is Vonage or Packet8. You can choose your area code (in the states) and you can call anywhere in the US for free. There is a monthly fee to have the phone, just look it up online and it will explain. If you do choose to do Vonage you will need to buy the box in the states (it’s much more expensive here) any electronic store carries them. Skype is much cheaper, but it depends on what you are looking for…my advice is look them both up on line and decide what is best for you.

School Supplies: Large 3 inch Binders, highlighters, pens, pencils, dry erase markers and eraser, ear plugs, sound guard earmuffs (like the ones that people mow their lawn with, everyone wears them to block out the noise for studying), a jump drive, and some flash cards.

Food Items to Bring (these are items that are nice to have)

Seasoning packets (taco, Italian, ranch, spaghetti, etc.), brown sugar (it’s available on the island, but it’s more coarse and has a slightly different taste), Spices that you like to use, cream of chicken/mushroom soup (occasionally available in Roseau), chicken noodle soup, rice-a-roni, lipton sides, hamburger helper, salsa, tortilla shells, jalopeno peppers, chocolate chips, brownie mixes, cake mixes, specialty items like diced green chilies, if there are specific brands of food you like for example Bull’s Eye BBQ sauce bring it because they probably will not have it, pudding, ground coffee - the coffee here tastes different so if you have particular coffee you want to drink, ship it!

Items that you CAN get here, these are items that you don’t have to bring! This is only some of the items, but I think I’ve listed most of them. Transformers, bug nets (if you want them), fans, salt, pepper, flour, sugar, rice, oil, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, bread, Corn Flakes (other cereals are available usually), jam, some canned foods not always available but usually at least one of the examples on the list is(corn, green beans, assortments of beans, pineapple, peaches, peas), margarine, butter, crackers (all brands you’ve never seen), chips sometimes (tortilla, potato), shelf milk, powdered milk, powdered sugar, pasta, spaghetti sauce (most of the time), cleaning supplies (Ajax, dish soap, laundry soap, etc), yeast, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, curry, flavored salts, chicken, ground beef. ground turkey, steaks, pork chops, ribs, tuna in a can, breakfast sausages, shrimp

Children’s Items

Jogging Stroller: A durable jogging stroller is the only kind of stroller to bring, it is great on these roads and off road, they are your little “cars” and are great for hauling water, and kids too! Some people really like to have an umbrella stroller as well to bring with them on the transport (public transportation) rides to use around the school. There are hardly any sidewalks except around the school. Jeep all terrain strollers are fantastic, BOB strollers are very popular (BOB strollers might not be the easiest to find, but check out their website, we got ours at REI camping store, it has been our best investment EVER!!)

Kids Clothing: Plan ahead for growing, it is difficult to find items around campus.  Bring several swimsuits as they may get warped with the frequent use of them at the pool and beach.  Bring any kind of pool toy you think the children will want to use since it is difficult to find them around campus.  There are some available in Roseau.  Children in the prep school cannot wear spaghetti strap clothing but these are good for the weekends.  Make sure that if you child will be attending the prep school that you have closed toe shoes for them.  Every student has P.E. class each day and need something to run around in.

Toys:  You will want to bring books, sand toys, games, DVD’s and any kind of toys for your kids that you can, also think about Birthdays, and special occasions - plan ahead!  Toys are available in Roseau but much more expensive than what you’d pay back home.  Many people ship small toys and gifts to plan ahead for birthday parties for their friends in school.

Diapers: They are expensive here and do not always have the size that you need when you need them. Many parents believe their children’s fungal infection in the diaper area was a result of the poor quality diapers here. Bring as many as possible, along with wipes.

Food: Bring Snacks, anything that you use at home, cheerios, goldfish, fruit snacks, granola bars, fun foods, baby food (sometimes available, but not good selection mostly squash).

Medicines: Bring anything that you can think of that you might need for colds, fevers (both tylenol and ibprofen), diaper rash, vitamins, etc. Benadryl Makes a spray that is so nice to use on the kids when they get bites (fyi) also, Avon Skin So Soft makes a bug repellent (DEET free) plus sunscreen in one that is a spray…another major plus for the kids!  After bite for kids is also a great product for bites.  If you want a natural insect repellant, buy citronella spray.

Miscellaneous - a children’s backpack is good for students who attend the prep school, especially during the summer semester as they will go swimming and go on field trips frequently, a sectioned lunch bowl with a lid (to pack lunches for the kids and it’s spill proof - can get at Target or Tupperware), water bottle for kids,