<p>Ok, many questions… let’s take it one at a time.</p>
<p>The most prevalent cell phone carrier would have to be Verizon. Many people use it because it has the strongest coverage at Duke (and possibly at home). My first two years, I made the mistake of signing with T-Mobile. Do NOT make this mistake. T-Mobile does not exist in North Carolina, so you’ll be roaming off many different networks including a carrier called SunCom, which in my opinion, is the worst in the world. I would be standing outside and have no signal or being in my room pointing my cell at the window with no signal. AT&T is fairly decent, usually 2 bars so its definitely usable, but again I went go with Verizon because it has the best signal. That’s actually the reason I didn’t get the iPhone is because when all is said and done, it is a phone, so you have to take care of that first. By the way, I got the LG Dare, which is very comparable to the iPhone if you’re interested. </p>
<p>Most students use a lot of text messaging; I know I text more than I call. However, I’ve never heard of a professor texting students. Maybe its a new thing?</p>
<p>I’m not an international student, but I know there is no cell-phone fair at the beginning of Orientation like there is for the group of banks. What you would have to do is to go to the carrier’s store and sign a 1 or 2 year contract. Make sure you do your research for good deals if you choose to because you can save a lot of money this way. It might also be prudent to contact the carrier you want before you even get on campus if you’re international so you’ll already have a deal worked out and just go pick up the phone and pay.</p>
<p>Very few students have land lines in the dorm. Most (>95%) just use their cell phones as their main method of communication. If you wish, however, Duke does allow you to have a landline at an extra cost I believe; it’s charged with the same system as cable.</p>
<p>Hope that answered all or at least most of your questions.</p>