How College Students with Laptops Can Save on Dorm Room Long Distance Charges

Friends and family advised you to just get a cell phone with unlimited minutes and an unlimited coverage area to solve your long distance calling dilemma from your new school. That would be a great idea if you weren't scraping by, working day and night, just trying to survive college life. Part of the experience of living in a dorm, after all, is making every single penny count. However, most colleges either provide or require students to own laptops today, meaning that you likely at least have access to the university's wireless internet connection (provided in many university living halls). Take advantage of the communication capabilities offered in your computer for quite possibly an even more personal connection with those at home than a land line or cell phone could offer. Save on your dorm room long distance charges by considering the following tips.

Tip #1: Check your laptop for Skype capabilities (or any other voice-over-internet option). Most new laptops today come with built-in webcams and microphones that enable students to call home just by setting up an account online with a service provider. With Skype, calls to other members are free, while calls to non-members can be made for flat monthly fees as low as $2.95 (yes, you read that right, two dollars and ninety five cents). If you aren't sure if you can use a voice-over-internet system on your laptop, simply take it to your school's technology lab and a volunteer should be happy to help you find out. Do keep in mind that generally an extra yearly fee is charged for an incoming phone number. The above price is for outgoing calls only on one particular provider.

Tip #2: Purchase a web cam. If you don't have voice-over-internet capabilities on your dorm room laptop, save on long distance charges by using a web cam for more personalized instant messaging. Most messenger systems have a simple web cam icon to click upon during chat sessions that will instantly connect you with family members at home who own web cams themselves. Because the chat experience isn't always that personal, connecting over a web cam can make communication much more meaningful for college students and their families. Not only that, but if you have access to university-provided internet connection, the "calls" are free.

Tip #3: Utilize free private chat rooms. There are two especially unique benefits to using free online chat rooms for private family conversations from your dorm room. First, college students are usually so pressed for time that they make every effort to squeeze in a quick conversation with every family member during each call. If each member of your family back home has access to their own Internet connection, they can all take part in your initiated conversation at the same time. Secondly, private chat rooms enable family members to come together from anywhere, meaning that the connection extends to more than just your dorm room and your home. Siblings at other universities or in their own homes can take part as well. Do be sure to email an invitation to your chat sessions to those whom you wish to speak to ahead of time, or have a scheduled "call" time set aside each week.

Tip #4: Utilize offline messaging systems rather than relying on voicemail. One of the major drawbacks to relying on Internet communication rather than a phone as you try to curb college dorm room long distance expenses is the lack of instant voicemail messaging. Of course, friends and family can take the time to send an email, but composing an email isn't the fasted method of letting someone know that you just want to talk...now. However, many online instant messaging systems enable users to send "offline" messages, meaning that they can contact you even if you are not online in case you should return to your laptop in the near future. The great part? Screen your "calls" as you work online and set your status to "appear offline" on your messenger system, and still receive every message that comes in through instant notification at the bottom of your screen (on many instant messaging systems).

With the availability of web cams, voice-over-internet, chat rooms, and offline messaging, there's simply no reason for a college student with laptop access living in a dorm room today to splurge on expensive long distance charges. Communicate with your mother as much as she demands, and still save enough for the really important necessities....like beer and pizza.