Here are the top items you should bring to the school!
Don’t leave home without it
We’ve all been there – staring at an empty suitcase that’s half the size that you need it to be, wondering what the most important things are to put inside of it. Packing for an extended international trip can be difficult. To help you determine what the must-haves are when staying at School of The World, we chatted with former students. Here are their top packing tips!
School of The World was designed to be a home away from home. Our rooms, common spaces and kitchen are stocked with most necessary comforts that we use in our own homes. However, there are a few things that our past students say you should absolutely bring with you!
- Reusable Water Bottle – While the weather in Jacó is always pleasant, it can get hot! Staying hydrated is important. We have a filtered water station at the school that you can use to refill your reusable bottle!
- Small Backpack or Bag – When you’re not at the school, it’s nice to be able to take a few things with you including a wallet, water bottle, beach towel, sunglasses, etc. We recommend a small backpack or bag that allows you to have both hands free!
- Bath & Beach Towel – BYOT! We provide bed linens and dish towels in our community kitchen, but we encourage students to pack their own towels for bathing, beach and yoga. This practice helps us be a more sustainable school by cutting down on water used for laundry!
- Hat, Sunglasses & Sunscreen – The sun shines hot in Costa Rica! Since most of our activities take place outside, we always recommend sun protection. Outside of the guest rooms, our school is open air. We encourage you to spend as much time outdoors as possible, but be safe and protect yourself from the sun.
If you’ve got the space, bring these items too
There are plenty of places in Jacó to purchase your essentials, however, if you’ve got room in your pack we recommend throwing in a few extra items! Based on student feedback, these are the items that we recommend packing vs. buying.
- Travel Adapter – The outlets at the school are standard North and South American outlets. If you’re traveling from Europe or another country that doesn’t use a Type A or B plug, you should pack an adaptor.
- Bug Spray – Depending on the time of year that you visit the school and the types of activities that you plan on doing while in Costa Rica, you should consider packing bug spray.
- First-Aid Kit – Being prepared is never a bad idea! The school is stocked with a first-aid kit and other common items, but having an emergency kit that fits in your day pack is a smart move for anyone traveling away from home
- Your Favorite Book – One of our favorite pastimes at the school is laying in a hammock in the courtyard, lounging by the pool or grabbing a sand chair and setting up on the beach. What makes this better? Your favorite book! We also have a bookshelf of donated books and magazines that you grab one from!
- Sneakers/Trainers – Costa Rica is an active country! We spend a lot of time outdoors! We love going barefoot on the beach, but we also find ourselves spending a lot of time hiking through the rainforest and walking and biking to our destinations. It’s never a bad idea to throw in a pair of tennis shoes if you’ve got the room!
Room for Options
Depending on your specific travel needs, you might need to pack certain items that a typical student doesn’t need while staying at the school. Here are some that past students have made a little extra space for.
- Laptop – If you’re planning on working from the school we have plenty of quiet spaces where you can plug in! Even though we have shared computers, you might also consider bringing a personal laptop if you’re enrolling in Photography.
- Yoga Mat & Props – If you’re signing up for yoga, you might want to bring your own mat and props. However, if you don’t have the space, we do have mats that you can use!
- Surf Shirt/Rash Guard – Planning on surfing? We highly recommend a surf shirt to use as a rash guard from the board and to protect you from the sun. We sell them and there are also numerous surf shops in Jacó that you can purchase these from!
- Travel Speaker – Sometimes it feels good to jam out to your own tunes! If you’ve followed along with the school’s social media, you’ve probably seen that we frequently host DJ dance parties. However, if you want your own music, you can always throw in a small travel speaker!
Whatever you decide to pack or leave behind, we have no doubt that you’ll feel right at home at School of The World! If your bags are packed and you’re ready to book, check out our trip planner to get started!
