1. Keep your valuables cautiously and don’t tell your friends about it: One of the mistakes students make is leaving their valuables lying unprotected. If you are anything like such students, then changing now is better for you. Do not leave your textbooks, phone, laptop, jewelries, and other valuables carelessly all over the place. Lock them up in your cupboard when you don’t need them. Dormitory or hotels are public places that anyone can enter; an intruder may enter your dorm and cart away your valuables if they are not well kept.
2. Keep your dorm room secure: If the door to your dorm is not very intact, you need to inform the appropriate personnel so that it would be fixed. The same applies if you stay alone in a room. But if you stay off-campus, then you must ensure that you have a good Grade-A lock. You can also install a basic alarm system that would alert you when danger looms. (Wireless alarm systems are a perfect choice because they are easy to install and remove, and they are affordable).
3. Use the buddy system: What this means is that you should never walk alone. There is power in numbers; the larger your group, the lesser your chance of being attacked. This precaution should be particularly observed at night and whenever you need to walk past silent or desolated places. When returning from reading sessions or church services at night, make sure you walk in group. The greater the number of people you walk with; the better and safer for you. However, you should not use this principle as excuse to join a campus cult or gang; as there is no safety or protection in them.
4. Watch your utterances on social media: While social media is great for interacting with friends and relatives, it could be a good trap set by you to catch yourself. If your Facebook status reads, “Will catch fun at the bar by 4pm today” or “Just chilling with friends at the beachside”, you are indirectly disclosing details of your whereabouts and movement plans. So, if some unknown assailants have been trailing you, they will easily get you through those words you wrote with your own hands.
5. Disclose your whereabouts to close friends: While it is risky to reveal your whereabouts or schedule on social media, disclosing this to your roommates or close friends is a good safety measure. Let someone know where you are going, who you are going to meet, when you are likely to be back, and your aim of going to the place. This precaution is even more necessary when you are going off campus. However, you should be careful of who you reveal your itinerary to.
