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Content in the Going to College has been adapted from The
FreshManual, thanks to the generous permission of

Staying Safe

Don't Become a Statistic.

Staying safe on campus should be one of your top priorities. Whatever college you choose, you can bet your bottom dollar that campus crime will be an issue. The orientation guides don't hand out those safety booklets for their own health. It's actually for yours.

After three weeks of reorganizing your dorm room, you finally feel comfortable calling it your home. Decked to the nines with your own personal flair, your pad is mad cool, comfy, and most importantly safe. Until CDs start to turn up MIA and you can't find that to-die-for Abercrombie sweater you bought last year.

Forget the after school movies you watched growing up. Campus crime is a real-life problem that faces thousands of college kids per year. And we're not just talking about physical crimes either. WeÕre also talking about grand theft, petty theft, and burglaries.

First year students are prime targets for crime-related acts for a number of reasons. Freshmen are typically more trustworthy and naive than upper classmen. In addition, they usually have maxed out pads, complete with surround sound, video game consoles, new DVD and CD players, and not to mention an awesome CD collection. So, how can you avoid being a victim of crime?

On-Campus Safety Tips

For starters, remember to keep the door to your pad L-O-C-K-E-D. Many college kids think locking their dorm room is unnecessary, thus creating a false sense of security. But imagine coming home to a TV-less room. No? We can't either, so lock your doors!
Stay extra alert in basements, hallways, and stairways of buildings.
Register your valuables, such as bikes, computers, jewelry, etc., with the campus police department. That way, if anything ever is stolen and recovered, they'll know who it belongs to.
Don't leave your personal belongings unattended in the library, cafeteria, study lounges, and lavatories.
Don't let strangers into your building, even if they claim theyÕre waiting to meet someone who lives there.

Public Safety

Phew, what a load off your mind, huh? But, how can you prevent attacks when youÕre in public domain?
If you don't want to be a target, you shouldn't walk alone at night. Either walk with a group of friends or take advantage of campus security services.
Chances are, there might be times when you are walking home alone at night. If you are, avoid using shortcuts through poorly lit, unpopulated areas.
Keep your eyes peeled for shady characters near or around the cash machine.
Try not to wear flashy jewelry 'cause it attracts a whole lot of attention, usually from the wrong people.
Finally, believe it or not, many colleges offer students the chance to take defense classes for free. If your college does, then by all means take full advantage of their generosity. Hey, not only will you be learning to defend yourself, but you'll be getting a full-body workout in the meantime.