International Students Phone Home!
|
Lesson
Summary: |
 |
Why should students phone home?
One of the biggest concerns of many students who are studying abroad is keeping in touch with relatives. Moving across the globe to a new country requires adjusting to a whole new life, which can be quite complicated. Calling home will give you the support of your parents, siblings, and friends.
 |
Your
family and relatives will want to know how you're doing! While you
may be busy most days, you should still try and call home at least
once a week to let them know you're safe, healthy, and happy. As
well, many students call home for a very important reason- to ask
for money. If you're short on cash and want your parents to
transfer funds into your bank account, calling home is a must. But
of course, keeping family ties and old friendships is also very
important.
An important question that must be on your mind is- how can
I phone home?
What are the best ways for students to contact home?
There are several ways for you to contact home. Some are better than others. Of course, costs are also an issue. Let's outline the various tools you could use to contact your family:
1. Mail Services
Writing a letter home is
fun, especially if you enjoy writing. It's not a great way of
communication though- using the national mail company or other
global services (such as FedEx of UPS) is
quite expensive. Often your letter will take a long while until it
arrives- regular mail only costs about $2 at most, but it may take
up to 2 weeks to reach its destination. If you're sending packages
though, mail and delivery services are the only way to
go.
2.
Regular Phone 
Everybody knows regular
phones. Whether you live in residence on campus or off-campus in a
regular apartment, you'll likely have access to a phone line.
Phones are simple and easy to use, and connections are usually
fairly secure. However, regular phone lines are expensive and can
cost up to $30 a month just as a flat fee. Calling overseas (known
as long-distance calling) costs quite a lot unless you can secure a
special plan with the phone company. Bottom line- don't use phones
to call home.
3. Cellular Phone
These days many people
use cellphones. Mobile phones are convenient to use, as you can
carry them around. You can also get really sophisticated phones and
gadgets that allow you to access the internet and play awesome
games. Simple cellphones will cost about as much as regular phones,
while the new cool ones can cost a lot (lot!) more, and again
long-distance calls are charged at a much higher rate. Also, there
may be potential health risks associated with cellphones, although
these aren't proved (or at least publicized). It's fun to have a
cellphone for local calls, but calling home is far too
expensive.
4. International Phone Cards
A much less expensive,
yet convenient, method of calling overseas is using phone
cards. You can find these at many convenience stores and
other locations across the globe quite easily. They come at
different costs- $5, $,10, $20, $50. Using a phone card you will
follow the instructions on the back and be allowed to dial anywhere
in the world for a relatively low price, ranging from
5¢ to 50¢ a minute (depending on
where you're calling). This is much cheaper than using regular
phones or cellphones, so it's a great way of keeping in
touch.
5. Email
At school you'll likely own a computer or else have access to one
through libraries or computer labs. Emails are
free to use in most cases, and they arrive much faster than paper
letters. Email also solves the problem of the time zone shift- you
may find it difficult to call home because the times are different.
Emails are great.
6. Instant Messaging and the like
These days there are several programs that can allow you to
stimulate phone conversations over the internet. MSN Live!
Messenger is a very popular program, as is Skype. These allow you to have
real-time conversations for free, and with the use
of a webcam you'll even be able to see your family. Now that's
great.
Call Home- Keep in Touch!
Post Comments