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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter.

As an out-of-state student, flying has become an essential. Continuous traveling makes me feel like half my life is spent on a plane. Of course, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it definitely feels that way. Between traveling from place to place and going on different adventures, it’s easy to forget what I need sometimes when I board a plane. Here are a couple of things I definitely could not live without while traveling.

1. Headphones

Headphones are my no. 1 essential because they are so important when flying, especially if there’s a screaming baby on board. I’ve definitely been on a couple of flights with screaming kids and it’s not fun. I use my headphones to listen to music or watch movies or shows. A lot of flights, especially when traveling from state to state have free movies or shows that I can watch on the plane.

2. Snacks

No matter how far the journey is, snacks are always a must. Although most airlines offer some kind of snack such as peanuts, it’s never enough to fill me up and I’d rather not spend money buying snacks that I could bring on the plane.

3. Phone Charger

An hour or so into almost every flight I’ve been on, my phone has run out of battery. It definitely seems like the end of the world when I have a couple more hours left with no way to play any games or listen to music! Having at least a cable with me is definitely a major essential. Most airports now have sockets just for USB ports which is perfect before a flight! Also, it’s great to have a portable charger on hand just for moments when you’re away from an outlet.

4. Laptop 

There’s not one flight that I can think of where I didn’t have my laptop in my bag. I love having my laptop on flights because most airlines stream shows or movies without having to pay for WIFI!!! Also I can use my laptop to charge my phone when it runs low on battery.  

5. Water

The good H2O is important because some flights do not bring around the free beverages! I like to carry around an empty water bottle and fill it up after I get through security, this way I don’t have to pay the extra money for a water.

6. Lotion

Flights can dry out my skin like no other. It’s important to hydrate and keep my skin moisturized. However, the main part of bringing lotion on a plane or anywhere that’s a smaller space is to make sure that it’s unscented. No matter how good I may think something smells, it can smell completely different to someone else and I definitely do not want to stick them with a smell that could potentially give them a headache.

7. Jacket

I don’t care what anyone else says, airplanes are freezing!!!!! It’s best to be prepared for the cold and bring a jacket or even a small blanket to drape over yourself.

I hope that this list has helped you in packing for the plane for your next trip!

All the way from Phoenix, Arizona, Janice attends Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she is currently a bioengineering major. Spending her time daydreaming Janice can be found jamming out to any song, watching netflix, or studying for the terrifying tests she has around the corner. You can follow her adventures @janichan on instagram.
Danielle Wilkinson is an Atlanta native and currently a senior at Purdue University studying Mass Communication. She is the co-correspondent and Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus Purdue. She has written for several online and print publications in the past including The Purdue Exponent, The Tab, Society 19, Study Breaks Magazine and Voy Study Abroad. She loves traveling, shopping and everything entertainment, especially movies and TV, but 90s rom coms will always be her favorite. She hopes to move to California one day to pursue a career in marketing. In her free time, she loves YouTube, watching movies with her friends, working on her novel, drinking tea and reading books.