Equipments to Buy or Have while Coming to Hostel Packing checklist by Sohan Reddy, NITT

1. Equipment to Buy or Have while Coming to NITT
Backpacks/Luggage bags
If you’re buying luggage bags now and don’t already have some, you can use
them. You will be traveling multiple times a year, by train/plane/cab, not just
back home, but also to your internships/foreign trips. So it’s better to buy
one good set of bags to last 4–5 years, as a one-time investment.
1. Hard luggage large check-in bag: Most durable bags, can handle all the
train/plane/cab travel you will do. Buy the 76' to 78' version; that’s
the maximum allowed in planes as check-in luggage. Even if you don’t
plan to travel by air now, it also should be lightweight. [e.g.,
American Tourister, Skybag] Don’t buy it online; better buy in stores,
test the durability, check weight, etc.
2. Tourist backpack: Wildlife adventure travel bag is also great.
3. Backpack cum trolley bag: Buy in the cabin bag dimensions, even if you
don’t plan to travel by air now. I take on every long/short trip,
which can be used for one-day, one-week, and supplementary to the
large bag on longer trips. But its real uses are endless. (optional)
4. Backpack: a small one-compartment bag to take to classes. You don’t
need to bring books to classes, and not many notebooks either.
5. Separate laptop backpack: you can also use the laptop backpack as a
college bag, although it is not recommended unless you’re taking your
laptop to college every day. You can use the small bag for classes and
the laptop bag for going to the library during exams.
Body care/Hygiene
Everything is also available inside the campus, in 2K Market, but it’s better
to buy the first lot at home because you’ll be busy with other stuff when you
come here. These are suggestions for BOTH boys and girls.
1. Nail cutter, filer
2. Shaving kit, scissors
3. Handwash, sanitizer
4. Shampoo, conditioner, hair oil: You’ll need all three because most
NITians have tremendous hair loss. It’s better to buy one normal
shampoo and one anti-dandruff shampoo and use them alternatively.
[e.g.: Himalaya/Garnier Fructis shampoo, Himalaya/Garnier Fructis
conditioner, Bajaj Almond Drops hair oil]
5. Body soap OR wash OR gel
6. Facewash: choose according to skin type. [e.g.: Himalaya]
7. Intimate wash: [e.g. V-wash, Himalaya, try both and see which suits
you the most]
8. Moisturiser OR body lotion: It’s very dry during the winters. [e.g.:
Himalaya Cocoa Butter Body Lotion]
9. Face cream: [e.g.: Nivea creme, i.e. blue colored round case]
10. Vaseline OR lip balm: [e.g. Himalaya lip balm is cheap and good]
11. Face wipes: Indian summers are very hot + Global warming. [e.g.:
Himalaya or Kara] But if you’re environmentally conscious, skip these.
Wet wipes, even biodegradable, take a long time to degrade.
12. Sunscreen: SPF50 but not higher. [e.g. Lotus]

2. 13. Deodorant and Perfume: Deodorant for exercise, sweat-inducing
activities, and when you don’t bathe. Not taking a bath sometimes is
okay, but not masking your smell is not. Ugghh!! Spare thy neighbor!
Perfume for your clothes, when you shower and want to feel fresh, and
for fancy days. [Those in Mumbai could try DSP Perfumes. They have
good options.]
14. All out/Good night machine for your room: can buy in 2K Market
15. Cleaning clothes: bar and detergent powder/liquid both: buy one that
has a measuring cup. [e.g. Surf Excel bar, Surf Excel Matic detergent
powder/liquid](There are two laundries in campus)
16. Cleaning utensils and scrubbers without sponge: to wash any utensils
if you have any: can buy in 2K Market. [e.g. Vim liquid]
17. Cleaning spectacles: liquid and cloth/cleaning tool: It’s very
sweaty and oily in Trichy during summers.
18. Cleaning laptop/mobile screens: liquid and cloth: because life is
simpler when you have cleaning liquids for everything.
19. Cleaning woolens: can be bought in 2K Market. [e.g.: Ezee]
20. Set of toothbrushes and toothpaste: [e.g. Colgate Zigzag Medium
toothbrush, Sensodyne]
21. Comb, hairbrush
22. Optional extra cleaning: Mouthwash, Floss, tongue cleaner, loofah,
body/face scrub
23. Soap case: can be bought in 2K Market.
24. Small pouch in which you can put toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and
face wash: Also, easier for train/plane travel.
25. Room freshener: if you like those things.
26. Shoe polish: If you are a perfectionist.
Medicine kit/First aid box
We have a hospital accessible 24*7, with an ambulance service
1. You get most for free in the hospital available in campus
2. Tiffin/container/Dabba for putting all of this together.
3. Bandaids: buy ten at least. There are minor cycle accidents every day.
4. Pain relief spray: [e.g.: Volini]
5. Cotton ball
6. Savlon: to clean wounds, doesn’t hurt as much as Dettol.
7. NEVER SELF-PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS/SPECIAL DRUGS.
Electronics/Appliances
Buy all of this at home or online
1. Casio Fx991MS 2nd gen Calculator: Don’t buy second-hand. You’ll need
one in all branches, in almost all courses, in all lectures in the
first and second year, in all exams. What if it stops working in the
middle of a test? So, don’t compromise on quality.
2. Mobile phone + charger: obviously
3. Laptop + charger: if you don’t have one, it’s okay, you don’t need one
if you have a smartphone that can open PDFs. Buy one after coming to
Trichy, say in your second year by consulting the internet and
friends.

3. 4. Pendrive: can order online. You’ll want to take notes, books, PPTs,
and movies from friends. Sandisk 32GB or 16GB.
5. Optional: for entertainment only: Bluetooth speaker: can order online.
[e.g.: Boat]
6. Power bank: can order online. [e.g.: Ambrane]
7. Earphones: if your phone didn’t come with earphones. Can order online.
[e.g. Boat]
8. Study Lamp: for when you study until late at night/don’t sleep at all.
9. Extension cord: optional
10. Optional but very helpful: Kindle: Your eyes can get strained due to
the overuse of laptops and mobile screens. But since Kindle uses e-ink
instead of an LCD screen, you won’t experience a strain on your eyes
or headaches. You can transfer books and PDFs to it and study from a
Kindle.
Clothes: Personal
1. Raincoat AND umbrella: It rains for a few months in Trichy. You’ll
have to cycle to class during the rain.
2. Casual: Shirts, tee shirts, tops, jeans, kurtas, cotton leggings,
skirts, don’t get dupattas, cycling with dupattas is too much effort,
and dupattas being a symbol of decency/character is a patriarchal
logic anyway. Buy clothes with pockets large enough for your mobile
phone and cycle keys! Cycling with sling bags is so inconvenient. And
some cycle baskets fall off/get damaged in one month.
3. Formal: 1 set of one white shirt, and black trousers OR skirt. I don’t
think it’s needed in the first year, although it’s good to have one
set.
4. Don’t need a blazer in the first year.
5. >5 pairs of socks
6. >5 pairs of handkerchiefs
7. Shorts: NITT summers are hot and humid + Global warming. Your jeans
will stick to your legs.
8. >5 sets of undergarments
9. Pullovers, sweatshirts, hoodies: Nov- Feb months night will be windy
and chilly. Buy many so that you can use them and wash all at once,
with Ezee
10. . Tracks/gym clothes: running shorts, track pants, cotton round neck
tees OR sweatshirts: we have grounds, various sports courts, stadiums,
and gym too! Also, exercise/playing a sport is a must for everyone,
more so for the girls. Even if you’re healthy. Even if you think you
don’t have time. Women can get an incurable syndrome: PCOS (Google it)
if they don’t exercise regularly.
11. PJs: cotton pajamas, comfortable cotton tees, night suit:
12. Swimming costume: we have a considerable swimming pool!
13. Fancy clothes: fancy jackets, shirts, one-piece dresses, palazzos
and all! Things get boring, so we dress up and treat ourselves often!
Girls, remember to check if it has pockets before buying it;
otherwise, you can’t cycle to the location. Cycling in a dress is
easy, but cycling with a sling bag on is not.
14. Ethnic wears for Festivals and Ethnic day
15. Lab coat: need to give measurements at tailor shop near 2k market,
plz check and take some times the measurements go wrong and u keep
roaming around the shop for altering.
Fabrics: Room

4. 1. Mattress cover: Even though you put on bedsheets, use a mattress
cover, because you can’t wash mattresses.
2. Double bed bedsheets (2 sets, with pillow covers): Buy double bed
bedsheets, so you can tie them behind your bed, and you don’t have to
tuck them in every freaking day. 2 sets because you should change and
wash bedsheets every 2 weeks. Also, with matching pillow covers,
you’ll appreciate the presence of a well-made bed when you have crazy
sleeping hours, and also, it makes you feel closer to home.
3. Mattress: buy-in campus stalls will be kept at your arrival/order
online. Box-shaped, foam on top, medium-hard are the best: Nilkamal,
Kurlon. Also, a tip: a mattress has a top and bottom side. The top
should face you; it’s the softer side, meant for sleeping on. Just
don’t sleep on the wrong side!
4. Pillow: order online or bring from home or should be available in 2k
market.
5. Hand towels: for wiping hands. Don’t wipe them on your clothes. Ewww!
6. Towels: two for drying your body, one for your hair.
7. Microfiber cloth: one for spectacles, one for mobile/laptop screens.
8. Cleaning clothes: one for tables, cupboards, and semi-dirty room
stuff, one for cleaning dusty/dirty stuff, one for shoes, one for when
you spill something on the floor, one extra because who knows what
dirt the future has for you?
9. Window curtain: buy online, get it delivered to your hostels, or buy
from phoenix.
Food items
Mess food: It’s not as horrible as it sounds, actually. The taste initially
feels tolerable, and some dishes are delicious even. It’s the feeling, the fact
that you’re not eating home food, that your dad makes better chicken curry, or
your mom makes better Daal. And it’s also the fact that you have to eat
vegetables that you didn’t eat at home, dishes that you’re unfamiliar with,
etc. So, I have some tips:
1. Home-made laddoos
2. Biscuits, any munchies: Studying makes you hungry. You can buy in 2K
Market also.
3. Instant food: maggi I guess available in 2K Market and night canteens
are there in campus.
4. Ghee: bring whatever Ghee is used in your home in a small bottle. Put
it on mess Rotis, after dusting off the excess flour from them!
Swiggy, Zomato provide their services during all times so feel free to
skip mess :)
Accessories and Miscellaneous
1. Belt(s)
2. Cap
3. Spare spectacles: there is no spectacle repair shop inside the campus,
so it’s better to have a spare.
4. Wrist-watch: for exams, and to be on time everywhere.
5. Safety pins: can be bought in 2K Market.

5. 6. Sewing kit: (some thread rolls, buttons, hooks, safety pins, and
needles) You can learn sewing from Youtube (I did that) when some
clothes get torn or your button falls off, but you still want to/have
to wear that piece of clothing.
7. Earrings, bracelets, pendants, whatever.
8. Clips and pins, all kinds of. You get a variety in Trichy.
9. Badminton racket OR whatever sport you like. Buy it online or bring it
from home.
10. Water Bottle: can be bought from home or might be available in 2K
Market.
11. Keychain: it’s weird how difficult it is to find a normal keychain
in 2K Market.
12. Lock and key: can be bought in 2K Market. I highly recommend giving
the spare keys to your friends.
Warning: buy cycle locks from home the ones u get with the cycle in
campus stalls are universal use, you can open your friends lock with
it cycles were stolen that way!!!
13. One set of cutlery: plate, spoon, fork, knife (blunt for sandwiches,
sharp for fruits and carrots), mug, glass: for having food in the
room. Also, some hostels don’t give mugs for milk. You can buy it in
2K Market, but if you have a favourite plate or spoon at home, get it.
Footwear
You don’t get good footwear on campus. Better to order it online or buy it from
home or go into Trichy city
1. Floaters/waterproof sandals for rain.
2. Running shoes: (I think some sports call for non-marking shoes, so if
that’s your extra academic activity, you’ll need those)
3. Fancy shoes: for parties and treats (optional)
4. Slippers for home (hostel room)
5. Slippers for washrooms. Don’t wear your room slippers to the restroom;
it’s not very clean, especially if you’re living in a boys’ hostel.
6. Formal shoes: you won’t need them in the first year, I think.
7. Black leather shoes for labs. They won’t let you enter the lab(sport
shoes/casual shoes will do the work most of the time don’t blame me if
you get caught:).
Stationery
Not needed to bring everything from home stationary is available in 2K Market
and there is a stationary in campus.
1. For engineering graphics lab buy drafter, a chart holder, H,2H,HB-Pencils
these wont be available in the campus mostly at all times.
Makeup that’s not “Makeup” (Boys: not my thing)
You could get your makeup kit if you have one; otherwise, for those who’ve
never applied makeup/don’t know how to, you need only two things! First, Kajal
(no, it doesn’t burn/hurt your eyes) [e.g. Lakme Eyeconic: cheaper than all the
rest, and works like a charm], and second, coloured Lip Balm with not much
colour [e.g. Himalaya]. Applying lip balm is super easy, and you can always
find someone who will apply Kajal to your eyes. Also, you’ll quickly learn how
to apply Kajal on the lower eyelid; it’s super easy.

6. You can also buy foundation [e.g. Lakme perfecting liquid foundation is perfect
for beginners]. Foundation could be for special occasions like Diwali, but it
will get expired before you can finish it, so don’t buy an expensive one (above
200 rs for 30mL is expensive). If you’re a guy who wants to try makeup, check
out Ankush Bahuguna.
For periods
You can get sanitary napkins from home and available in 2K Market
Buy these items inside the campus or from nearby places; these are the items
from the above lists which you didn’t buy at home.
1. SIM card: Jio’s and Airtel’s network has been the best inside the NITT
campus.
2. Cycle(would suggest to get from home if possible don’t buy Hercules
cycle in campus stalls): MUST. It’s easy to learn cycling, a lot of
people do that, but you are at a MAJOR disadvantage if you don’t have
a cycle. In the later years, especially. But you won’t have time to
learn about cycling in the later years. Most of us don’t wake up until
15minutes before the class so you can use the cycle to teleport.
3. Bank Account: SBI would be most convenient
4. Mattress and pillow (described above)
5. Bucket, mug, and soap cases
6. Hangers, clotheslines, hanging clips, laundry basket
7. Stationery: buy ruled notebooks because we get ruled papers in the
exam, and you’ve probably forgotten how to write complete sentences
and complete solutions in the two years of JEE prep
8. Dustbin
YOU HAVE RELIANCE AND DMART NEAR THE CAMPUS SO DON’T WORRY IF U DIDN’T GET
STUFF FROM HOME!!!(GET ELECTRONICS FROM HOME!!!)
DID A LOT OF GOOGLE SEARCH AND CUSTOMISED BASED ON NEEDS FOR NITT
MADE IT FOR ALL FUTURE JUNIORS 😊
~SOHAN REDDY(EEE-DEPARTMENT 22-26)