Content sponsored by Cynthia Madison

As college has already begun and students have already taken their rooms in college campuses from all around the world, some question marks appear. How do I stay safe in this new environment? How to keep myself from getting into sketchy situations? How do I make sure that those I make friends with are not a danger to myself or others? How can I tell that I meet a genuinely reliable person? Well, to make sure that you remain safe throughout your college years, we have some smart tips and tricks that you can always use.

Familiarize yourself with your campus’ Safety Office

All campuses have a Campus Safety or Security Office. These services are part of your tuition fees and everybody has the right to a secure studying and living environment. You should go ahead and make the most out of these services and get in touch with them whenever necessary. All these offices have certain working hours and some phone numbers where you can reach a security representative of your campus. Alternatively, take a short trip to the office on your campus when you are concerned for your safety. When you first reach your campus, you should pass by at the security office and learn how you can use the following security services.

• Campus escort services;
• Safety maps that have marked suggested secure routes;
• Blue light emergency phone station;
• Support for safety apps.

Take some extra precautions at night

All crimes, including sex assault or crimes, are more likely to occur at night. This doesn’t mean that you should scare yourself and never leave your college dorm during the night, it only means that you should be a little extra careful after sunset. For instance, avoid walking completely alone at night. This is an unnecessary risk that you should avoid taking. Use the buddy system or escort system available on your campus.

If you still can’t avoid walking alone at night, especially in unfamiliar areas of your campus, you should consider downloading various apps that were specifically designed to keep college students safe in campuses. The principles on which these apps function is quite easy. For instance, a certain app will require you to keep your finger pressed on the safe button and release it only when you safely reach your destination. A pin code will have to be introduced to confirm that you are safe. If you don’t enter your code, campus security and the police will be alerted.

Make sure to always lock up your doors

Locking your doors when you leave your dorm or after you return home should be a major rule for living your campus life. Additionally, if you live on the first floor, always make sure to close your windows at night or when you leave your room. This will add a little extra security in your life.

Just to be sure, invest in a small safe where to keep all your valuables when you’re not in the room. Ideally, you would keep that small safe hidden in a closet.

Get to know your new acquiesces a little bit better

One of the best things about college is meeting new people and making friends. However, not all your new acquaintances have the best interest at heart and you might want to apply a little bit of caution before trusting them completely. As the experts at Checkthem.com recommend, you shouldn’t reveal personal information right away and you should watch out for reg flags. For example, if your new buddy asks too many questions about your personal life or asks you insistently to go out alone, they might be on to something. Check their past history by asking older students (news travel fast in campuses) and use the tools that the Internet gives you. See what they’re like on social media and try to learn more about their backgrounds. This will assure you that no sketchy individuals integrate into your new group of friends. You will also be a little safer knowing that nobody around you has a dubious past.

Keep your life a little more private

As soon as you start college, friend requests are rolling in. But while social media is a great tool to keep up with your friends and share important updates on your life, it also has its dangers. When sharing private details about your life on social media, be aware of who else is able to see your profile. Avoid geotagging your pictures or posts. This reveals your exact location to strangers and some may not have only the best intentions. Avoid giving off hints on social media that you’re home alone or plan to leave your home unattended for longer intervals.

When posting on social media, make sure that you disable location services and review your privacy settings of each post. Consider making all your social media accounts private and that you only share information with friends. And remember that once you post something on the Internet, it gets difficult to entirely remove it from the web.

Make your trips to your car safer

We all make some mistakes when getting behind the wheel. For instance, we’re not checking the back seat or under the vehicle to see if someone may be hiding in those locations. When getting to your vehicle, approach it at an angle that allows you to see around it as well as on the back seat. When you leave your car, make sure that you lock it and that you set up the car alarm. No matter if you leave your car for only a minute, do this to make sure that you and your car are both safe. If your vehicle isn’t equipped with an alarm system, invest in an aftermarket car alarm. These are reliable and will let you know when someone attempts to break into your vehicle.

Always know where you’re headed

It’s always a great idea to know exactly where you’re headed as well as the safest route. Avoid looking disoriented or confused and make sure that you walk with confidence. If you’re not familiar with the area that you navigate, make sure that you avoid wearing your headphones or listening to music. Make sure that you’re always alert of your surroundings.

These are some of the most effective strategies that you can implement to make sure that you’re always safe and sound while on campus. Campus security has increased in quality over the past few years, but there are always some extra tips that will help you remain safe.