College is an exciting time! It is a time when children stop being children and fully grow into young adults, complete with taking on responsibilities of their own. Of course, few college students are completely ready to be adults right away, and many often find that they need a little help navigating adult life and staying as safe as possible while they do so. Here, we are providing a few tips for staying out of danger while living the college lifestyle. If followed carefully, they practically guarantee a good college experience and, even more importantly, one that helps keep students out of harm’s way.
Use the Buddy System
When elementary school students take field trips, they are often told to “find a buddy” and to stick with that person at all times throughout the day. While this rule might seem a bit childish, it still works quite well in all social situations, during college years and even adulthood. Students who are planning on going to a party, on a late night walk to the library, or anywhere unfamiliar are encouraged to go along with someone else and stay by them. Not only is it more fun to do things with someone else and provide an opportunity to get to know someone new or spend time with a friend, but this also provides two (or more) pairs of watchful eyes decreasing the chances of having something go awry.
Avoid Walking Alone at Night
Once students become comfortable on campus, it can start to feel to them like it is the safest place in the world. They shouldn’t fall into the false sense of security, however, as crimes can and have taken place on college campuses. If students have to walk to their car, to the library, or anywhere else after dark-even if it’s somewhere on campus or close by-they should find someone who can walk with them! If a friend is unavailable, they should consider calling campus security. It may seem like an unnecessary or excessive pain, but a few extra precautions could end up preventing dangerous situations from occurring.
Use the eClick
College students and/or their parents may want to consider the option of investing in the eClick. The eClick is a handy GPS locator specifically designed and intended to be used by college students. The device is small, compact and therefore easily portable. Many college students that use the eClick place them on their key chains or simply slip them into their pockets, backpacks, or purses. The device does not do anything until it is activated, which is done by simply pressing the emergency button. Once this button is pressed, it will send an alert out to emergency professionals. An alert that even includes the exact location to help aiding professionals get there more precisely. An emergency dispatcher will immediately call to verify there is an emergency and receive more details regarding it. However if the owner is unable to answer or does not know their code, help will still automatically be sent to the location.
