Your first time away from home is exciting but it’s also filled with pitfalls regarding your safety. In your hometown, you know where you shouldn’t go after a certain time or at all. But your university town/city is a different place. You might be in situations and places where you don’t feel comfortable. There are also other risks that you might take for granted in your hometown but are unaware of in your new residence.
Always Lock Your Doors and Windows
Living in communal halls can lure students into a false sense of security. Just because there is CCTV and always people around, doesn’t mean your property is safe. Just as you would do when leaving your parental home, lock all the doors and windows while you are out at a lecture or at the student bar. Also, ensure the door is locked at night when you are in the room or apartment sleeping. Drunk students arriving back at night from the bar tend to get confused about which room is there.
Go Out in Groups
There is safety in numbers and while you are unfamiliar with the campus and surrounding area, consider going out with some of your new friends. If you get lost, you’ll get lost together or at the very least, put your heads together to remember where to go. It will also help avoid potential confrontation between students and non-students or if you happen to go somewhere that students are not welcome. While most university towns and cities are safe in this regard, trouble does happen.
Don’t Let Strangers Buy You Drinks
Both on and off campus, there are many dangers of allowing a stranger to buy you a drink. Not everyone is going to be sinister but if they insist, ensure you accompany them to the bar. That way, if there is anything insidious going on, observing the drink being poured will not give them the opportunity. Drink spiking is still a problem on campus and despite horror stories of illegal drugs, most drinks are spiked with more (stronger) alcohol.
Keep Valuables Out of Sight
This doesn’t just count in your room in full view of a window, but also when out and about. When in unfamiliar surroundings, keep your bag or wallet safe and out of the way until you need it. Your MP3 player should be stored in a pocket where a potential mugger can’t see what it is or where it is. While on the subject of iPods and other mp3 players, it’s not a good idea to have it playing too loudly at night when out and about.. You won’t pick up on people following you or traffic.