For the Love of Wifi!

The most important question every American wants an answer to, ‘What about my cell phone?!’

At first I was stubborn and did not want to use anything other than my cell phone from the states. My family and I even switched to a plan that allowed us to call and text each other. However, I still need to keep in contact with people in Ireland. The leaders of Irish Experience made a good point by telling me that if we needed to call or text each other (which we often do) then it will charge roaming fees to anyone with an Irish number. That being said, I had to get a prepaid phone. This was a much better idea because I rarely use my cell phone from the states unless there is wifi.

Its easier to just purchase a phone in Ireland because there are several providers throughout the town of Carlow. However, there are some people who bought an unlocked cell phone from amazon which is more expensive of course. The cheapest prepaid phones are typically 20 euro with an additional 20 euro for a SIM card. So you’re looking at a minimum of 40 euro unless you want it to look prettier which I find to be a total waste of money. However, this phone is yours and you’re able to use it in any country you want. Its a nice investment in my opinion and makes staying in contact with your friends a lot easier and inexpensive. Also, you can just continue to take the prepaid phone with you if you ever leave the states again. That way you’re just paying for a SIM card each time and not paying an expensive bill.

Like I said before, I only use my cell phone from the states when there is wifi. The college has a nice wifi connection. However, this is not how it is all over Europe. Some pubs, cafes, and hostels have free wifi or there are internet cafes that allow you to use computers for a small fee. There are computers in the campus library if you need to look something up between classes. However, the computers are limited to what you can search. Its better to just use your own laptop since the campus already has wifi. My favorite part about the college is that they give you a flash drive on orientation day. That way you just throw it on your keys and have one designated for school work.