But moving to a new location and living in a unique place like a college campus comes with a learning curve. Not every student is prepared for the possible dangers they could face on campus.
1. Personal Possessions
One of the more benign yet concerning types of danger you might face on campus is the possibility of theft – both of your possessions and your data or online identity. Precautions like Identity Proofing can help campuses keep their students safe from identity theft. Otherwise, keep yourself safe by ensuring privacy when accessing sensitive information on your phone or laptop.
Some students will use a screen dimmer to keep prying eyes from seeing what they’re looking at while working in public spaces. Students also tend to be overly trusting when it comes to their dorms.
You might know the other people in your hall and feel like leaving your room unlocked is perfectly safe. But doing so means any student on campus could easily gain access to your possessions.
And never leave your textbooks or devices unattended in the library – those pricey textbooks are often a target for campus thieves.
2. Responsible Socializing
For many students, college means more social events like parties or dances. A lot of these events go hand in hand with drinking, which means an increased chance of running into danger. It’s not uncommon for inexperienced drinkers to have an incident of alcohol poisoning and land themselves in the hospital after one too many drinks.
Drinking alone means you could wander away from the party and get lost in the middle of the night. And having your drink spiked with drugs is always a possibility.
To avoid these dangers while still being able to attend social events, you should be using the buddy system. You and your friends should have a game plan for the night that ensures you keep an eye on one another and leave together at the end of the night.
A designated driver should always be established before the night begins if you’re planning to drive somewhere. Attending parties can be a perfectly safe aspect of campus life if proper precautions are taken.
3. Knowing Your Campus
Every college campus has the potential to confuse and disorient students, especially if they’re new to campus, and even more so at night. By getting to know your campus, including where bathrooms are, where the campus safety office is, and what areas to avoid, you’ll be a lot less likely to spend time stumbling around in the dark trying to find your dorm.
Download a copy of the campus map from your university’s website and have campus safety’s number on your phone in case of emergencies.
4. Trusting Your Gut
Now that you’ve achieved a new level of independence and are responsible, to an extent, for your own safety, you’ll probably have to learn some new safety instincts. Particularly if you’re interested in dating around, you’ll have to trust your gut and learn how to say no in situations that make you uncomfortable.
other related articles of interest:
5 Numbers You Should Have On Speed Dial If You Are Not Living On Campus
Knowing when and how to refuse to give in to peer pressure will help you avoid a lot of mistakes and regret, so it’s a good skill to start practicing now. Keeping yourself safe should be your #1 priority – don’t get caught up in making everyone else happy by sacrificing your own comfort.
College prep tends to consist of buying new decorations for your dorm room and ordering textbooks. But learning safety measures is as important as ensuring you get good grades, if not more so.
By taking some time at the beginning of your campus experience to learn safety tips, you’ll have a more pleasant college experience.
Image Credit: tips for being safe on university campus by twenty20.com
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