@Buster21 - is your daughter going with the Middlebury program?
Kid says that if one is going to Russia or any other country of the former Soviet Union, make sure to pack stylish clothes. Vanity is a big issue there. Kid said her boss took her aside and told her in private that her boots which she wore all winter long in Boston were, ahem, not appropriate. She shopped locally and said that prices were outrageous, so the next “care pack” included stylish footwear from my closet. Kid also says vegetarian eating would not be a problem in any of those countries even where they eat horses… as long as your child likes beets and cabbage! 
For a semester in France, I think D1 took a large medium and a smaller medium wheelies (more than an overnighter.) The idea of the smaller one was for any side trip where a backpack wouldn’t cut it. (That was Barcelona, lol, where the big deal local nightclub didn’t even open til 1am.)
For 9 months in a 3rd world country, a big suitcase. I knew she’d have trouble finding Tampax, at first, so big supply of that. She took her backpack for everyday but also, at REI, she got “multi-day” daypack (a sort of trekking pack for a few days out.) We visited half way through and the only thing she wanted from us was her favorite face wash and some makeup. Lol, that’s my kid. All sorts of adventures and risks, living out in nowhere, but her sister had to order from Ulta before we went.
She took one little black dress from H&M (the sort that you can scrunch down to grapefruit size and it never wrinkes,) in case her fellowship needed her to dress up. One very simple light pair of dark flats to go with that, cheap but comfy. (She did have some events.) Lol, girls here know where to find these. USB cords. A few sets of good ear buds. Sunglasses.
In both cases, she got a local phone, cheap. (The school provided one for France.) We skyped and texted, but email was just as easy. It was far easier for her to initiate a call than for us to call her. If needed, I’d text, she’d call back.
The advantage to a school program is kids will usually have plenty of leadership to help in-country. Of course all the modern countries will have nearly everything you want on an everyday basis. Buy a local hair dryer or flat iron, cheap. Most of the drug store type things. Far too many US fast food options.
When both of my kids studied abroad they stayed in one dorm the whole semester and didn’t have to move around. They had a small travel bag for short travels. When going to and from airport they took a car service. They rather bring their own clothes/shoes then buy stuff locally. They only things they bought while abroad were disposable stuff, like decorative stuff for her room, toiletries, etc. I priced out shipping of her stuff back, it was extremely expensive. It was less expensive to check in one extra bag than being overweight on one bag.
One thing people haven’t mentioned is personal care items in brands that you know and like. Maybe in Spain it isn’t as much if an issue, but my D is in China now and they told them that the brands you have at home will not be available unless you pay exorbitant prices and even then they may be counterfeit. D brought enough saline solution and face cream (she has very sensitive skin) to get her through the summer. She didn’t want to be fooling around experimenting with Chinese brands for these items. It did make her luggage heavier for the way there.
It’s fine to be stylish…but that doesn’t mean she should take twenty pairs of shoes. Less is more. As noted above, the kid needs to be able to schlep the bags herself.
DS did a study abroad, but he had to bring his own linens. He took two suitcases because of that, and as noted by an above poster…he checked a second bag. He also had to bring dress clothes and three musical instruments. But you know…it was all fine.
DD did a two year Peace Corps stint…and was allowed two suitcases and one backpack for everything she needed. Everything…so toiletries, clothes, linens, solar charger, computer, everything.
I think your daughter needs to prioritize what she needs, vs what she wants. Take the essentials plus maybe a few “wants”.
Also, if she plans to travel after her program ends, make sure she has a plan for all that “stuff” while she is traveling.
@calmom Yes her program is through Midd. Originally she was thinking about their program in Irkutsk but monitoring their weather for a few winter months changed her mind.
@BunsenBurner Haha, my daughter should be fine, vanity is a big issue here too, lol. She is serious about her look.
@Buster21 – that looks like an amazing program. It definitely looks like a program that will be challenging academically and geared to building language fluency. It looks like she will be doing a homestay as well – so she might be able to get info from the program coordinators about packing recommendations. It sounds like quite an adventure for her.
My daughter has applied to spend spring semester in France. But she’s still working through accepting that she can’t take her framed art along, so we have a ways to go on the realistic packing front. :))
If she is staying in a furnished apartment the bedding will be provided. Both of my d’s did study abroad, one in Rome and one in Vienna and one also did summer programs and internships in different parts of France. I always recommend that they pack an extra bath/face towel and told them to trash them rather than bring home at the end. Younger d in Vienna did have to go to an H & M and buy a tote bag that she could use to bring notebooks and whatever she needed back and forth to campus from off-campus apartment. Older d lived in student apartment in Rome and found that one of her roommates had brought one small suitcase filled with boxes of breakfast cereal to last a semester. As older d was art student at the end of semester she needed to transport her work home or ship it and so she bought a second suitcase at a flea market and that served that purpose well. If they wear contacts they need to be prepared with a supply of those to last several months as well as prescription drugs and if they use specific type of lense solution as they might not likely be able to find or might be very expensive.
Phone -
- Get a google voice # - it's free and can be used on wifi, and gives US friends and family a US # to call/text/video call.
- She can buy a local SIM card for her unlocked phone. Much cheaper than the home carrier international plan.
For contact lens wearers, traveling to more remote areas: I would encourage considering changing to daily wear lenses. They are somewhat more expensive, but way more convenient because the need for solution is eliminated.
I would note that several years ago I was in a pharmacy in Budapest with a friend looking at eye care products, and I remember they were well stocked with an assortment of lens solutions. So I don’t think it is a problem to get in most western cities. But in general I have found the daily wear lenses far more convenient for travel overall. There are other benefits as well.
“Older d lived in student apartment in Rome and found that one of her roommates had brought one small suitcase filled with boxes of breakfast cereal to last a semester.”
It always makes me a little sad when I hear stories like this. I know we all have favorite foods but I wish people would embrace the local culture and foods rather than sticking to their home routines. When in Rome…
FYI… check info on your destination country for over-the-counter medication information. Australia for one doesn’t like Sudafed (you can bring SMALL amounts in. Emphasize small).
I don’t think of Sudafed as an OTC (although it is) because you have to show your drivers license to get it and the Feds keep a record of how much you buy. But checking is always a good idea.