What you are supposed to carry when you travel :)

It might sound like a funny post. Nevertheless, with so little time to plan things out, sometimes going directly from the classes or just after exams, I thought this would be a small quick reference to all the things that you need to take for your journey to the IIM interviews. Of course I might have missed something, you are more than welcome to point it out so that I can incorporate it into the list. Hope it helps at least a few (at least me!!)

The essentials:
1. Money!
2. Ticket
3. Call letter + form (if any)
4. Certificates, including CAT admit card, CAT score card, originals of undergraduation, 12th, 10th marksheets, originals of certificates of extra-curricular activities and any other certificates for activities mentioned in the form.
5. College id card, credit card (required at times for verification of booking of flight, if any)
6. Cell phone with a SIM that works (you may find this 'stupid' if you ain't from Guwahati!) and a charger
It always helps when you have some last moment questions about say your hobbies (like I did before my IIM Kozikode interview!) that you might wish to know by calling up a friend and asking him to google it up!
7. Address of the hotel, any booking details etc.
8. A couple of photos might come in handy
9. Some ask for the xerox copies of your marksheets, so make sure you have them.
10. A pen!

Dress:
You will need 1 or 2 formal shirt(s), pant(s), tie, belt, socks, shoes. Some also wear a coat, which I don't.
Personally I find it very inconvenient to wear formal clothes, especially shoes on informal occasions. When traveling by flight, I wear the formal shoes along with my informal dress, and carry my formal dress and a pair of slippers with me. I always travel only with a handbag, and all items do conveniently fit into it!
So when I go out or in my room, I would never have to wear the formals except during the interview/GD.

Misc:
1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Soap (many smaller hotels don't have it!)
4. Towel (it may come in handy. The towels I was given for my first stay weren't as clean as I would have liked them to be. A towel always comes in handy; remember Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!)
5. Few old newspapers (again comes in handy to keep your clothes. The shelves given weren't very clean again and I didn't want to keep my formals directly on it. A few old newspapers/today's newspaper again always comes in handy)
6. Shoe polish/brush (If you wear your formal shoes during travel, it would be good to have them polished before the interview)
About shoe polish, I found quite a few cobblers on my way to the hotel, who would polish your shoes well. You might want to make use of this facility! However, I don't know anything about their timings etc. so it might be risky if you land in the evening and your interview is in the morning. Perhaps I'll ask them about their timings and update it here!
7. Shaving kit
Again, there are a few barber shops around, but it might be risky. If you are like Gunda, forget this ;)
8. Shampoo
Again this depends on you. I prefer a head bath on the night before the interview.
9. Pen
10. Watch

You can generally get all the above items from the shops around, but you may have to travel a bit and it might be risky if you don't get it.