Behold the Power of Skype!

There are so many communication options for study abroad students. Unfortunately, not all of them are affordable. Cell phones from home can be expensive, as many networks charge a small monthly fee and about $0.25 a minute. While the actual rate varies by country, the bottom line is that it adds up quick!

Purchasing a phone abroad can also be costly! SIM cards can cost over 50 Euros ($75.00 as of Sept 19, 2009) and limit you on minutes that you can use in that country only. The problem of saving money when calling home is not solved here. Although, it does make it easier to contact friends studying in the same country, the same problem is also present if your friends have not converted their phones to their new countries network yet.

The solution I recommend for this is Skype. With Skype, you can call others Skype users for free using their web chat service. With this service, both parties use a webcam to communicate. Skype also offers another free service for consumers where they can chat via typing, similar to that of MSN Messenger or AIM. 

The company also offers subscriptions for Skype users to make phone calls. For example, I can call any land line or cellphone in the U.S. using a headset on my computer. This feature only cost me $37.00 for three months service and my only real limitation is that I cannot exceed more than 10,000 minutes per month. Somehow, I don't think I will have a problem with that. Also, friends and family cannot call you, you have to call them.

For an extra cost, you can structure Skype so that friends and family can return your call. Skype can set it up so that you can answer their call on your computer or on your cell phone.

Skype also offers other features that may be right for you. You can visit their website at www.skype.com for more information. Personally, I chose not to pay the extra amount for my family to call me back. I am an e-mail junky. So, I generally leave a message if they miss my call telling them to e-mail me a time when they can talk. So far, this has worked out pretty well!

Travel Safe,


Some Study Abroad Girl