Will Your Phone Work in the US?

Have you ever lost your phone? How long did you have to go without it for? A few hours can be stress-inducing; a few days and you’re approaching full-on panic. Our phones help us feel connected. They provide us with some trusty apps and resources like maps, on-demand rides and food, and a way to get in touch with friends, family members, or basically, everyone we need to get our stuff done. It’s only when we’re suddenly without our phones – and mobile service – that we suddenly realize just how much we rely on them, and how important they are.

That’s why it’s mobile phone service of the first things you need to get set up as a student, especially if you’re arriving to the US for the first time. It’s not enough that you have a phone – you need to know if your phone will work in the US. To make sure that you’re never without the ability to use your phone and ensure a seamless transition, there are a couple things that are essential to your phone working in the US: compatibility and coverage.

Compatibility

When we refer to “compatibility,” we’re referring to whether or not your phone or device will work with the service you’re choosing. You might have heard the acronyms “CDMA” or “GSM.” These terms just refer to “multiple access technologies. They’re ways for people to cram multiple phone calls or internet connections into on radio channel.”

What does this mean for you? Carriers who use GSM technology put customer information on SIM cards, versus carriers who use CDMA who use “network-based white lists to verify subscribers,” and who require you to switch phones with their permission. As technology improves though, more carriers are moving away from GSM and CDMA, but that doesn’t mean you can completely disregard it.

Because some CDMA phones don’t have SIM card slots, you wouldn’t be able to transfer it to another network. Some devices on CDMA do have a SIM slot, you might need to contact your carrier to “unlock” your device to use on another network. GSM phones are easier to transfer to other networks and will have the SIM card slot. As you’re deciding what mobile phone service you want to use, you’ll want to see if your phone is compatible as a CDMA or GSM device to make your transition easier – and also ensure you can make the most out of that service.

Coverage

Coverage refers to the signal strength of your mobile phone carrier, and where that signal extends to. Many carriers will provide a “coverage map” so that you can see how far their signal and network extends, allowing you to determine if you’d have good “service.” Good service really just means that you’ll be able to make calls and send texts easily, with little disruption or distortion during the call, and with speed when making a text.

There are a few factors that can influence how well you’re covered by your carrier, including “proximity to a cell site, physical obstacles and signal interference…or natural disturbances,” like severe weather or the landscape in the area. Sometimes, even being in a crowded or busy place can cause delays or disruptions to your service. There are some areas across the country where little or no signal can be found, commonly referred to as “dead zones,” which make it impossible to make a phone call or send a text.

Understanding the strength and expanse of the network you’re on is important when choosing a mobile phone service provider. Most carriers include coverage maps on their websites, and though these aren’t always entirely accurate (and can’t account for exact conditions or circumstances), they provide a good baseline indicator of whether you’ll be able to use your phone.

Finding a mobile phone provider that is compatible with your phone and offers good coverage in the area you’ll be living in will ensure that you can enjoy all of the features of your phone and mobile phone service.

5 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Back-to-School

It might be hard to believe this, but we’re already halfway through summer. We know, we know – you don’t want to think about moving back into your dorm and doing homework again while you’re enjoying the summer sunshine and a break from exams and essays. But while there’s still a lot of time left before you head back to school, you can make the transition back-to-school a little bit easier by doing these five things to prepare now.

Download your syllabi ahead of time

Some professors will make the syllabus for their class available ahead of the start of the semester on the class website or academic platform (like Blackboard). This is a great opportunity to do a little more research into the course you’re taking, because, let’s be honest, you might know little more than course title and a vague description. Check out what books are required for the course, and if possible, you could even skim your textbooks or do one of the initial readings for class. It might give you a sense of how time-consuming the reading might be so you can determine how to plan for other commitments, such as other class assignments, participating in clubs or on-campus organizations, an internship, and even just having a social life.

Get planning and map out your due dates

If you’re able to review your syllabi ahead of time, you will also want to consider getting a planner (sometimes called an agenda or calendar) and adding the dates of future assignments, tests, and other due dates during your semester. Whether you choose to use a digital calendar or put pen to paper, you’ll be able to prepare for how busy (or maybe un-busy) your semester will be. Having due dates in your planner will let you see if you have any overlapping due dates and, for example, come up with a game plan for how to complete an essay assignment for the same day you have a big exam.

Organize your essentials

We all have a tendency to procrastinate sometimes, but you don’t want to leave packing for the day before you leave home and head to school. Start by making a list. What do you need for the upcoming semester that you can’t buy once you’re already at school, or that would be too expensive or logistically difficult to purchase upon arriving at school? For example, you’ll want to bring the clothes you need for the semester (or maybe even the whole year) but you can purchase snacks and beverages upon arriving at school. As you create your list, you’ll be able to start packing up your things so that you have plenty of time to get the things you need ahead of time or notice if you’ve forgotten something.

Get your US phone number

If you’re traveling to university in the US for the first time, you should definitely get your US phone number before you leave your home country. By signing up for Mint Mobile through campusSIMS, you can pick out your phone plan and get that US phone number ahead of time. You’ll be able to give your phone number to your parents so that they have a way of easily contacting you once you get to the US. Also, with campusSIMS and Mint Mobile, you don’t need to activate your plan until you get to the US – so you aren’t paying for mobile phone service until you’re ready to use it. You’ll be able to activate when land and get off of the plane, but before then, you have peace of mind knowing that you’re already all set up with phone service.

Do some research on your new neighborhood

Whether you’re returning to school for another semester or you’re moving to the US for the first time, it’s definitely worth doing research on the city or new neighborhood where you’re living. This, of course, is important from a safety perspective – you should familiarize yourself with your surroundings so you feel comfortable navigating outside of campus if/when you need to. You can use Google Maps (or other maps services) to bookmark important places like local hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, and post offices or shipping companies (like FedEx, UPS, DHL). Additionally, you can figure out the places for more fun activities like local restaurants, bars, museums, parks, and more.