Mailing a Package Overseas Mailing a package to your student can be easy but quite expensive. Any major postal carrier can ship packages internationally and give you advice and step-by-step instructions on how to do it. However, be very aware of the dimensions and weight of the package you're sending as the price for shipping the package can quickly exceed the price of its contents. You can look on major carriers websites to see how much it would cost to send:
There may be customs restrictions that parents should be aware of before attempting to mail items to their student in their host country. The restrictions vary depending on the service (i.e., UPS will not deliver personal items to New Zealand). For up-to-date mailing advice, please visit the following websites:
FedEx Kinkos
U.S. Post Office
UPS Contacting Your Student Email and Social Media Sites Email and social media are wonderful ways of staying in touch with your student. Most universities have adequate Internet access on campus and in the accommodation facilities. Internet Cafes are located in cities and towns of all sizes, so your student should also have email access while traveling. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and IM are available worldwide, and these sites can be the perfect way to "stay in touch" even if your student is too busy to talk on a frequent basis. Skype Skype is a great way to stay connected and is a free service! With Skype you can make free calls over the internet to your student for as long as you like, to wherever you like, for free. Or, your student can purchase a U.S. phone number through Skype for a nominal fee (includes voicemail), so that you can call him or her from any phone and reach them on their skype account as if they had a local phone number. Learn more about skype> Phone Calling international cell phones can be expensive, so be sure to compare international rates with different phone companies, as well as looking for deals on the Internet. How to Dial Internationally from the U.S. Placing international calls will vary depending on if you're calling directly or using a calling card. In general, you can follow the guidelines for dialing directly, but be sure to review the instructions provided by the long distance phone company and/or on the calling card. | Step 1 | 011 (Allows you to call outside of U.S.) | Step 2 | Country Code: | Australia: 61 China: 86 Czech Republic: 420 Fiji: 679 Germany: 49 Greece: 30 Hong Kong: 852 Ireland: 44 Italy: 39 | | Japan: 81 Malaysia: 60 The Netherlands: 31 New Zealand: 64 Singapore: 65 South Korea: 82 Thailand: 66 UK: 44 | | | | Step 3 | Area code (The area code may be listed as one to several digits, beginning with a ‘0’, drop the zero when placing international calls) | Step 4 | Phone Number | For Example: Your student calls from New Zealand with his/her new phone number of 04-111-1111
You will dial: 011-64-4-111-1111 |
Calling Cards We recommend that students buy international calling cards when they arrive in the host country. Typically they offer competitive long distance rates, and they can easily be purchased at local convenient stores and shops. If you do want to buy one in the U.S., please make sure that the card is able to be used from the host country, and that your student knows what number they will need to use in order to call out of the country. Cell Phones Many students decide that a cell phone is a convenient way to stay in touch while abroad. Some students prefer to purchase a cell phone upon arrival in the host country or use their current cell phone with a new SIM card from the host country. In order to use a cell phone from the U.S. or Canada, it must be a TriBand phone. The cell phone must be unlocked by the provider in order to use another provider’s SIM card. Students are provided with additional information about cell phone options through out the pre-trip process. NOTE: Save money by calling your student on their landline. In many countries, it costs more to call an international cell phone number than an international landline number. Remember the Time Difference Wherever your student is located in the world, the time differences can be quite significant. To understand the time difference in the host country compared to where you are located, please check the website www.worldtimeserver.com. Your student will be much happier to hear your voice when it is during an hour where they are already awake!
Have a suggestion for other parents? We'd love to hear about it and pass it on to future parents. Contact us at [email protected] with any tips you might have. |