It's a great adventure coming to a new place to study, but be fair to yourself and your family: stay in touch with home. Phone home or send a tape; link up with your friends around the world via e-mail; set down your daily thoughts in a journal and in letters to those who helped you get here; plan ahead for a special post graduation vacation for you and your family. There are all sorts of reasons to stay in touch with home, and all sorts of ways to do so.

The United States has a well-developed network of communications ranging from traditional postal services to advanced telecommunications. Northern State offers mail service, long distance access, and free email. However, off-campus services will be required to send and receive international freight and, if you live off-campus, to obtain telephone and Internet service. Most communication services (with the partial exception of the U.S. Postal Service) are privately owned and operated; they compete for customers and offer many different choices for a wide range of prices.

Mail Service

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the main provider of mail service in the United States. Other services compete with the USPS in the areas of express mail and package delivery. These include United Parcel Service (UPS), Federal Express (FedEx), and DHL Worldwide Express (DHL). Unlike postal services in many countries, the USPS does not offer long-distance telephone service or savings accounts.

Aberdeen has one main post office that offers a full range of services, such as international package service and one branch office. Mail is delivered Monday through Saturday to individual addresses and to boxes available for rent at most post offices.

Northern has a campus mail system that distributes regular mail as well as "campus mail" materials sent from one campus department to another. If you live on campus, your mail will be delivered to your residence hall by the USPS and then distributed by campus mail to your personal box. Every student at Northern is assigned a mailbox. Whether you live on campus or not you may receive regular mail as well as campus mail at your box.

You should not send cash through the mail; otherwise, you can be fairly sure that your letter or package will be delivered safely. For additional protection, you may insure your package at the post office.

Telephone Service

Local and long-distance telephone companies provide telephone service. Local telephone companies provide local or regional telecommunication services; long-distance companies provide national and international services.

If you live on campus, local telephone service will be provided by Northern, though you will need to purchase a phone. You will have the opportunity to choose a long-distance company based on your own needs. There are numerous companies that provide excellent overseas rates and it would be wise to check these companies’ rates when you arrive on campus.

If you live off campus, you must arrange your own local and long-distance service. New customers generally must pay a one-time installation charge, as well as a deposit that is usually refunded with interest after 12 months if your bills are paid on time. A telephone directory will be delivered to your room on campus or to your off-campus address once your telephone service has been connected. Do not forget to have your telephone service disconnected or transferred to your new address when you move. There is no charge for disconnecting telephone service.

If you share long-distance service with roommates or housemates, make sure everyone understands how the bill is to be paid.

Cell phones are convenient and popular to use. There are two cell phone service providers in Aberdeen. Depending on the cell phone service plan purchased, it may be less expensive to have that plan to call in the United States than to have a cell phone and a long distance provider.

Detailed instructions for using public telephones (usually referred to as "pay phones") can be found in the telephone booth. Pay phones still require $.50 for local calls, but most now allow you to make local and long-distance calls without coins using a credit card or any of a wide variety of "calling cards." You can make long-distance calls from any pay phone in the United States; long-distance service is not confined to certain locales as it is in many countries.

Other Telecommunication Services

Once you have arranged for telephone service, you may wish to look into other services such as facsimile (fax) machines, answering services, and computer-based services such as email and access to the Internet. Some of these services, such as faxing, are available at low cost from local businesses such as copy centers.

Northern State University has computer facilities that are equipped with a variety of personal computers and more sophisticated "workstations." These computer sites provide links to the campus computer network, through which users can access services such as library catalogs, on-line databases, email, and the Internet.

Every student is provided with a personal computer account for the purpose of accessing such services. You can also obtain access to the Internet by opening an account with one of the many commercial companies that offer these services.