Getting Your US Number Before You Leave For College

If you're leaving soon for college in the US it's time for you to start setting up your essentials.

Onboard

Jul 19, 2022

Moving to the US is stressful, and you’re probably going to be caught up with orientation-related events once you get to campus. Getting a US phone number and setting up your phone plan before you leave your home country will ease your transition as you settle into the US. Here’s why:

Avoid airport Wi-Fi

If you don’t have active cellular service as soon as you land, you’ll have to rely on spotty airport Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. If you already have a US SIM card and active service, you can get off airplane mode once you land, get connected before your plane reaches your airport gate, and even make calls to your loved ones back home, letting them know that you’ve arrived safely!

Find your way to campus

To get to campus, you’ll want to use rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft. Relying on Wi-Fi to order a car can be challenging, and you won’t be able to call your driver, track their location, or get directions as you make your way to and around campus. If drivers are unable to contact you, they could end up canceling the ride and you could be stuck at the airport for hours!

If you have a US number, you can add it to your rideshare apps, call your driver when needed, receive calls when they are outside, and quickly find your way to your campus.

Use your time efficiently

If you think about setting up your phone plan at the last minute, you’ll have to visit a physical store, pay for transportation to and from the store, wait in line, and sometimes even pay activation fees to set up your service. Having your phone plan setup in advance will allow you to use your time to do more important things like attend orientation events, set up your dorm room, build new relationships, or even explore the city you’ll be living in!

Quickly set up your apps

You’ll need to download and use several college-student friendly apps. Payment apps such as Venmo, Splitwise, and Cash App, food-delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Postmates, and Doordash, and ridesharing apps such as Uber, Lyft, and Via - they all require a US phone number for you to create an account. If you wait to get your phone plan setup after you get to campus, you’ll be struggling to move around the city (to set up your room or buy basic groceries) and order food if your campus cafeteria is closed (most dining halls are not open prior to the first day of orientation).

Onboard Mobile: connectivity that just makes sense

Onboard Mobile offers no-compromise mobile phone plans designed for international students going to the US starting at just $20/month. We deliver your US SIM card internationally to your home country's address, for free! You can activate your plan and get your US number before you leave your home country, and stay connected from the second you land.

Browse our plans: https://mobile.onboardss.com/

Onboard Mobile can ship anywhere in the world. 

Customers in India will receive a SIM card in 2-4 days after shipping from our India-based fulfillment center. 

Customers in other countries can expect to receive their SIM card in 1-2 weeks after shipping.