Telephone, Email, and Internet Access
Telephone
All students will have a telephone in their dorm room or apartment and will be assigned a phone number after you arrive. Students are responsible for their own phone charges. The Alliance recommends that students consider purchasing a cell phone after they arrive in Beijing or Shanghai. The Resident Director will provide information during orientation about how and where to purchase a cell phone. You can use your cell phone to talk with friends in China easily, and also learn how to send text messages in Chinese to communicate with Chinese friends.
During orientation, you will also receive more information about how to call home. Using calling cards purchased in China is generally the least inexpensive way to call home from China. Students may also wish to contact a U.S. long distance carrier such as AT&T or Sprint before they depart the U.S. and request an international calling guide. Keep in mind that using calling cards purchased in the U.S. is more expensive than using calling cards purchased in China.
The least expensive way to communicate with your friends and family at home using the telephone is to have them call you. There are even some calling cards available online in the U.S. that cost 2 cents per minute to call China from the U.S. Another easy way to keep in touch with friends and family at home is to use Skype, which enables you to talk for free through internet calling if both parties have a Skype account. Visit www.skype.com to create a free account. Skype users can also call a regular phone at very inexpensive rates.
Internet/Email
Web access is available to students in their apartment or dormitory room for a monthly fee. This service can be installed upon request after arrival in China. Note that SUFE campus internet service is not currently compatible with apple computers. However, alliance staff can help apple computer users apply for internet service through China Telecom (requiring 200 RMB deposit; 80 RMB fees per month). It is also possible to use wireless service available in the International Cultural Exchange School.
You will also find internet access in internet cafes scattered throughout the city. They are identified by a large sign --网吧 (wang3 ba0). Internet cafes usually require the presentation of an ID and a deposit that will be refunded on checking out. A common fee is 2 RMB per hour. Internet cafes are usually open very long hours and are good bets for spontaneous web surfing.
Should you have a laptop computer, more and more coffee shops and cafes are also offering wireless internet access for customer use.
It is important to keep in mind that internet access and land-line phone service may not always be available. Anything is possible, so plan as best you can to allow for more time than you might usually need to accomplish even the most humdrum of tasks using the internet.
Critical skills for success are patience and an ability to roll with the unexpected.
