College is a very exciting time where you move away from home for the first time, meet new people, explore your interests and move into a college dorm or apartment.
While living in a dorm is a great way for you to meet new people and take part in a variety of social activities, there are also some dangers of living in a dorm that you need to understand.
Because there are so many young people living in such close proximity, there will obviously be some security issues to deal with when living in a dorm. Crimes such as burglary are common in college dorms and are often exacerbated by the fact that students are nonchalant about safety.
Students often leave their dorm rooms unlocked, let people that they do not know into the building or even leave their valuable possessions out in the open for everyone to see.
However, burglary is not the only criminal offense that you need to be aware of. You also need to recognize crimes including vandalism, assault and identity theft. But you don’t need to be paranoid about your security, you simply need to be aware of your surroundings and practice safe behaviors.
Follow these tips to stay as safe as possible while living in a college dorm:
- Most burglaries occur when someone leaves a door unlocked. Simply locking your doors (and windows) EVERY time you leave will help prevent theft. You will also want to make sure you lock your doors when you are asleep.
- You should engrave your computer and electronics with your name. This will make it harder for thieves to sell the merchandise later.
- Keep valuable merchandise out of plain sight. Don’t tempt burglars.
- At most universities, you will need an ID card to enter a dorm. Never let someone into your dorm building that does not have one. Even if they say they have a friend in the dorm, do not believe them. Make them call their friend to let them in.
- Report any suspicious people to campus police.
- Even though it is customary in a lot of dorms, never leave your door open. This is just asking for trouble.
- Make sure that your dorm room has a working smoke detector. Check the batteries regularly.
This post was written by guest author Edwin who blogs over at Yourlocalsecurity. You can also order an ADT home security system from his site to help keep your family safe.
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