This article examines the degree to which first year university students use mobile telephony to stay in contact with their lecturers and tutors. Survey data from two cohorts of first year students are discussed. The special relationship students have with their mobile phones provides opportunities for extending the use made of the technology in educational settings, not only to stay in contact with students, but also to promote their engagement in their studies. 'The interplay between the old and the new environments creates many problems and confusions. The main obstacle to a clear understanding of the effects of the new media is our deeply embedded habit of regarding all phenomena from a fixed point of view'