Telephone
You can purchase a pay-as-you-go phone with a SIM card programmed for Scotland and £10 of airtime via www.e2save.co.uk for as cheap as $25.00. You can “top up” the airtime online after purchasing. We recommend you purchase this phone for communicating with your fellow students and instructors while in Scotland and not for calling or texting home. You will want to use your own phone or a calling card for that purpose. NOTE: If you plan to rely on your own phone, you must have a global phone and it will need setting up by your service provider to work in the UK. Either way, the program requires you either have a phone with you or that you are with another program participant who has a phone for security purposes.
Calling while in Scotland: To call direct to a landline in Scotland from the US: Dial 011 (gets you out of the US) + 44 (UK country code) + 10 digit telephone number (from right to left-usually means dropping the zero at the front of the number). To call a Scotland number from inside the country, dial +44 and the Scotland number without the zero on the front (10 digits).
Calling while in the US: To call the US from Scotland: Dial +1 (this gets you out of UK) then the US telephone number. There are Internet options and switching numbers you can use at a reduced rate. It is advised that you contact your cellphone service provider for information on
To make international calls from a landline in Scotland: you may pay for the call, call collect, use an international calling card (AT&T, MCI, Sprint), or use a locally-purchased prepaid calling card that is authorized for international calls. Pre-paid phone cards bought in the US may not work when calling from Scotland. We recommend that you purchase international phone cards once you arrive in Scotland if you need to make international calls using a landline. You can find these at the airports, or at most hotel gift shops. International operators speak English.
To receive telephone calls or faxes during the trip, leave a copy of the contact numbers in Scotland with family and friends. In general, because of your schedule and work load, it will be easier for you to make calls than receive them.
Making calls from airports while on route to Scotland: BE AWARE that pay phones in airports that take credit cards will charge you outrageous fees! If you plan to be in an airport for any period of time and need to use your personal cellphone, you must have a global phone and you will need to make prior arrangements with your service provider for this service.
Postal Service
Mail is delivered directly to your flat by the Royal Mail, including parcels, recorded deliveries, etc. If the postman can’t get a required signature, s/he will leave a card informing you of what to do next. On arrival, ensure that you issue friends, relatives, your bank, etc. with your full, correct postal address at the Residences. This must include the street number, street name, and flat. The local sorting office is located in Clarence Drive and the telephone number is 0141 357 2033.
There is no post box in the Residences but the nearest post boxes are only a short walk away on Bellshaugh Road or top of Winton Drive on Cleveden Road. Reception is unable to accept mail/ parcels etc. on your behalf.
Mail from the US or Europe takes from one to two weeks to arrive. The same is true for outgoing mail from the UK. Any letters sent to you should be clearly marked and sent by AIRMAIL. You will be given your mailing address upon arrival.
Packages
It is not advisable to receive packages as they take a long time to arrive, and are usually held at the customs office for inspection and could be subject to payment of tariffs. (The same is true if you mail packages to the US—read the US Customs Regulations for details). Bring with you whatever you need, and tell your family not to mail packages. NOTE: If something must be sent to you from home, consult the instructors about the various options available.
During the program you will have access to e-mail on a daily basis (except for when you’re in local schools). However, you should let all your regular e-mail contacts know about the time difference and that you may not be able to check emails until the end of each day. When time permits, you should be able to send and receive e-mails from the University of Glasgow Campus, from your dorm room, and at various local Internet cafes in Glasgow. If you need to be in e-mail contact for any emergency reason, to register for classes, and you are having difficulty, let your instructors know and they can help.
Internet access will be available while on the University of Glasgow campus. You will be asked to sign an Internet Use Agreement when access is granted. Your use of the Internet should be restricted to course work and personal e-mail. PLEASE DO NOT STREAM MUSIC, WATCH YOU-TUBE OR OTHER VIDEOS, OR UPLOAD/DOWNLOAD LARGE PHOTO FILES FROM CAMPUS! If you do this, you may take up all of our bandwidth and grind the Internet connection to a halt, and others won’t be able to access e-mail or other websites!
Internet Communication
There are a number of free or very inexpensive communication strategies you can use to stay in touch with family and friends while in the UK. Equipment, software, and user accounts are usually required for this type of communication. For example, FaceTime can be used by those who have an iPhone, iPad or Mac laptop. The person you are contact must also be able to FaceTime. Skype requires an account, software and a user on the other end who also is set up to Skype. Skype only costs money when you call a person’s phone. For the most part it is free as long as the other person you are talking to is using Skype as well. If not, you can buy Skype credit to call people on their phone.
No matter what form of communication you use please keep in mind that Scotland is always five hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. Be sure to adjust your watch when you arrive. Your computer should adjust if it is set to automatic detect the time from the network you are on.