College Kids Phone Home in Many Ways

When I went to college I braved the line at the payphone on Sunday nights and had what could have been the least private conversations of my life. When the majority of my kids went to college the school required a landline to get in touch with you; cell phones were the luxury item. Today 90 percent of kids on campus have cell phones. And more and more, cell phones are just one of the ways to stay in touch. Let's look at a few options: cell phones, IM, text messaging, Skype, VoIP, and others.

Cell Phones: What was a good family plan when your child was at home might not be so good when they head off to college. When our daughter went to college in Connecticut we switched to T-Mobile which considered Connecticut a local area even though we lived in NY.

Today many schools have given up their landlines and rely solely on cell phones to communicate with the students so you need a reliable phone. Find out which carriers have good reception where on the college campus and which have the best plans for anytime minutes and roaming. The student advocacy group Calpirgstudents put together a nice summary of things students should consider besides style and ringtones.

Finally, check with the school about cell phone plans and promotions. The University of Cincinnati for example gives a free Bearcat phone to students through a deal with the phone company. Many campuses work with the carrier in bulk arrangements so they offer very attractive pricing plans. And be sure that your student knows their plan and tries to make calls when the minutes are free.

Instant Messaging: Let's face it—your kids probably don't want you as a permanent fixture on their screen. Ask them if they want you to join their IM friends list. Keep the IMs to a minimum when you both have time to type for a few minutes.

Text Messaging: The good news is that your student probably has their phone with them even when they're not near their computer. And that's when text messaging works best. It's the best way to get an important message out quickly. And if you don't go over the messages allotted by your plan it's really inexpensive. Schools are beginning to use text messaging to notify students about everything from class cancellations to campus emergencies. Student organizations can register with the campus systems and send messages about upcoming events.

Skype: I'm a big fan of Skype and college kids. It's easy to set up and it costs nothing. Basically you and your student both register for Skype and if you're both connected to Skype you simply click on their name to dial them up on their PC. You can use a video camera to turn this into a video session (do you really want to see?).

Some campuses have banned Skype, usually because they worry about network overload and security.

Other VoIP solutions: Campuses are typically very wireless places. Theoretically, if you have a good Wi-Fi signal on the campus network you can access the Internet and use VoIP for your phone calls. Some campuses are bullish about VoIP; others have blocked the services. If your school offers VoIP it's a great way to go.

I've only scratched the surface. You can set up photo sharing sites, email videos…you could even send a plain old-fashioned email. Tell us what works for you.