Pay-as-you-talk phones are perfect for students who are going to be away from home for a semester or more. Whether you’re going to a college in your hometown or one that’s across the country, college students will benefit from using prepaid phones. As these six reasons show, they’re among the best choices for those who want to stay in touch.
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1. Topping Them Off Is Simple
Prepaid phone users can top their phone credits off with a convenient online billing service. This gives them the freedom to add more airtime minutes whenever they need to. If they have to make a few emergency calls, then they can just replenish their minutes the next day. It’s even possible to have one that’s just for these kinds of calls, though they’re so useful that it’s likely students will end up placing a few other kinds as well.
2. Prepaid Phones Are Flexible
Service contracts usually specify a number of roaming charges as well as a whole collection of stipulations about where you can and can’t place a call. That doesn’t work for students, who might not always know where they’re going to be at any given time. Prepaid phones only have a single cost associated with them, so nobody has to figure out a complex billing plan when using one. Most students have too many other things on their minds to worry about their phones.
3. It’s Easy to Call Home With One
International students can get phones with a domestic SIM card if they need one, which makes it much easier for them to call home no matter where it is in the world. Stateside students can get a prepaid phone that’s loaded up with just enough minutes to call home on a regular basis.
4. They’re Relatively Private
Online privacy is big news these days, but prepaid mobile phones remain a good way to stay secure. Some students have actually used them so they don’t have to give out a primary phone number, and instead, they could stay anonymous. Criminals tend to target those who are away from home, so some students actually avoid using their regular phones while they’re at college.
5. Families Can Provide Them
When you sign a contract, you’re often on the hook for any mobile charges you incur. Parents or guardians can invest in a prepaid phone that they’ll then give to a student going off to college for a couple of months. When said student returns, their family can see how many airtime minutes they used and decide on whether or not they need any more of them to get through the next semester.
6. Simple Designs Make Them Easy To Use
There’s a very good chance that you don’t use anywhere near all of the features of your smartphone. Some prepaid models are essentially cellular telephones that place calls and send text messages. University students generally don’t need anything else, so they’ve become popular with those who don’t want to be distracted by their devices constantly giving them alerts. That’s especially important for those who don’t want to hear their phone going off while they’re studying for finals week.
