This may be a dumb question, but once the ac year begins after plebe summer, how often can plebes use their cell phone to contact parents, family, girlfriend, etc.?
There is one other usage dimension that will be largely out of your control (because as a Plebe you will not always be deciding where you can be or when) which is where you are in Bancroft. Some of the decks have horrible service with all carriers, and calling can be frustrating and/or impossible.