Staying Safe in College

The college experience should be a time of personal growth, learning new things and meeting new friends. All too often, though, a student's experience is dampened by crimes that take place on or near his or her campus. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to deterring crime. It's far better to do what you can to prevent a crime from happening in the first place than to find yourself reporting a crime to campus police. Here, we will discuss ways to keep safe while in college.

By far the most frequent crimes that occur on most college campuses are thefts and burglaries. Prevention of these crimes starts in the residence halls. While it's helpful that many dorm rooms now feature self-locking doors, many students are tempted to prop them open while they run a quick errand or visit a friend in a neighboring dorm room. This is never a good idea, as a theft can occur in a matter of minutes. Next thing you know, you return to your dorm to find your iPod or laptop is missing. It is also a good general practice to place anything of value, such as cash or jewelry, out of plain sight in a dorm room. Thieves will be looking for a quick and easy opportunity.

The same is true of vehicle burglaries on campus — don't leave items such as books, purses or shopping bags in plain sight in your car. Place them in your trunk, or at the very least place a blanket or coat over these items to conceal them. Even a visible backpack can be a temptation, as a burglar may wish to steal it to search for textbooks to quickly resell for cash. Even if the burglar finds nothing of value, you've still got a broken door or window to deal with.

Students should consider taking self-defense classes to protect themselves from physical assault. Women especially should take self-defense classes to protect themselves from sexual assault. These classes are offered by many universities and often count as a P.E. or elective credit. At parties, never leave your drink unattended, as this places you at risk of getting slipped the date rape drug.

Finally, never walk alone at night on campus, even if it's just back to your residence hall after class. Walk with a friend, ask a campus police officer to escort you or take advantage of a night escort service offered by many universities.