Skype Makes it Easy for College Students to Keep in Touch

Starting college is such an exciting time! Chances are, you are moving out of your parents’ house, and possibly even moving to a different city. This opens a world of new experiences and freedoms. Woot woot!
But what if you start to miss seeing your friends from back home, or even your parents? (Don’t scoff, it could happen.) You could jump in your car or book an airplane ticket back home for the weekend, but that could become quite expensive, especially if you catch the homesickness bug. So, how can you see your parents/friends/family pets without wracking up a huge credit card bill? One word: Skype.
Personally, I don’t know how anyone survived moving away from home before Skype. I am slightly addicted to the computer program that allows you to video-chat with anyone in the world- for free! I use it almost every week to keep in touch with my friends who attend different universities or live in foreign countries. I have also used Skype to make a long distance relationship seem not so lonely. When I was studying abroad, I even used it to call my parents and talk to my pug. (EDUinReview is a judgment-free zone, so no comments about my dog-obsession, okay?)
Skype can be used for more than just video conferencing on your computer. If you do not have a cell phone (or have lost your phone for the time being, as I am prone to doing,) Skype can be used to call land lines and other cell phones, and it is much cheaper than calling cards or pay-as-you-go cell phones.
Our generation is highly addicted to social media and staying connected, so it’s only natural that we love Skype. If you do not have a Skype account yet, get one before you start next semester. If you want to earn some major brownie points with your parents, set them up with a their own Skype account and take them on a virtual tour of your dorm room once you get settled in. Just don’t take them on a tour of the campus; other students might look at you strangely if you are walking around carrying and talking to a computer.