...be a landline in my room? I'm going to uni next month and my contract phone plan only allows me 200 minutes per month - how will i phone my friend back home and my parents?
Will i just have to get something like skype?

No. Use skype or a mobile contract. You will phone just once or twice a week by Christmas!!

This is an easy one - change your contract! Even if you could get a phone in your room, you would have to pay for it. If you are going to call home that often, you can't tie up the hall phone, which is shared by many people, doing so. Skype is fine, but a little complicated for daily use as a basic phone system. I use it when traveling. But I wouldn't want to rely on it every time I wanted to make a call.

We didn't have pay phones. We had a landline in our rooms. Most universities will not have long distance services. You will need a phone card to call home on that line. On the campus dorm phones, you will only be able to dial campus and local numbers. I recommend getting a phone card. The land line in your room is covered by your room and board fees.

I think this is very much a case of it will depend on which University you go to, and which halls of residence you live in. Some may have a phone whereas others will not.

In my halls, we had a JCR (junior common room), which we paid a small fee for at the start of the year, I think 40 pounds. In this JCR there was a phone which we could use.

I think like others have said, it would be a better idea to possibly change your contract. I'm on one with Orange that has 600 free minutes and unlimited texts for 35 a month.

There are usually payphones in halls of residence (in the corridor so hardly private). Most people take the opportunity for a little bit of independence when they go to university - and don't find the need to phone home daily, more on the basis of as, and when, something interesting is happening (or in some cases just when they have run out of money). You could try resurrecting the art of letter writing or use cybercafes - in the department or SU.

Yes they do have phones in uni rooms normally your given a card which you 'top up' with cash. I didnt use it however as it can be quite expensive. However people from home will be able to call your number, so you dont always have to ring i suppose. Also id get a better price plan. Ususally if you phone up your provider and ask about changing your minutes/ texts ratio you can! Not a lot of people know that and of course the phone provider wont tell you! The only thing your 'contracted' into is how much you pay per month. Id do that. O2 have good deals with free bolt-ons with certain price palns.

there wont be a phone in your room, think of the uni phone bills!

Some halls of residence do have landlines in the rooms and some don't, the only way to know is by looking on the website or calling the accommodation office. Otherwise Skype is probably your best bet!

USE YOUR MOBILE its cheaper and safer!