10 Ways to Stay Safe at College

05 Mar 10 Ways to Stay Safe at College

For most college students, leaving for college is the first time they have lived away from home. It is an exciting time, as they learn to be more independent and grow their social circle while learning important things—all things that help them become a well-rounded and competent adult. As fun as it may be, living on a college campus can be dangerous. There are plenty of situations that college students may find themselves that could potentially be hazardous. It is important to be aware of these and to proactively take steps to prevent them so that college will be a memorable experience for all the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Here are 10 tips for how to stay safe at college.

On Campus

• Familiarize yourself with your school’s safety office. Every school has one, equipped with officers and guards who will happily escort you to your car at night or whenever you feel unsafe. Find your school’s emergency number and keep it in your phone.
• When walking around campus at night, stay in well-lit areas and avoid walking through alleys or dark places—especially if there’s nobody else around.
• Never keep valuables visible in your car. Unattended cars are a petty thief’s dream.
• As soon as you enter your car, lock the doors and drive away. Don’t give potential wrongdoers the chance to enter your car.
• Walk with confidence. Predators are more likely to target someone who is walking slowly while looking at the ground. Walk with your head held high and be quick.

In a Dorm

• Always keep your doors locked. This includes the door to your bedroom and the door to your apartment. Contact your apartment manager about installing additional security systems inside your apartment.
• Don’t let strangers in. College dorms are the perfect place to meet new people, but strangers can be dangerous. Especially if you are home alone, don’t answer the door if you don’t know who it is.
• Don’t attend parties by yourself. Always keep a trusted friend by your side when you attend parties and make sure you have a designated driver if one is necessary.

On the Road

• Drive defensively. College towns are notorious for having high car accident rates. Even if you are a good driver, assume that everyone else isn’t and drive accordingly.
• Drive right at night. This is an important rule used to prevent getting in a head-on collision with drunk drivers. Most drunk drivers cause accidents by drifting into oncoming traffic. You can minimize the risk by driving as far to the right as possible.

Author: t6admin