Back to School: College Campus Safety Tips

In my sophomore year at Trinity Western University, a knife-wielding thief broke into my dorm building. Thankfully, I was on the other side of my university's campus. Campus security asked us to go into the school cafeteria, where we were told we should remain. My roommate was in our room at the time. Imagine his surprise when the police caught the intruder right outside of our room.

Thankfully, incidents like that are very rare. When they do happen, college security officers and the police are usually very quick to react. However, such incidents underline the need for college students to be alert and attentive to campus security guidelines.

Is my university campus safe? Find out BEFORE you attend that school!

When you're on a tour of the college campus-yes, before you send in your acceptance letter-talk to some of the students that you see walking around. Ask them for their personal perspective on their college's safety. These are often the most honest, most accurate ways to find out how safe your university is. Warning bells should be going off in your head if the students express worries about the safety of their college campus.

Is my dorm residence secure?

After the knife-wielding thief incident, my university had another scare. A drunken, bloody man (no one knows why he was bloody) broke through a window in the female residence hall. Thus, you should always be aware of how open access is to your dorm building or apartment building. Can anyone come and go as they please? Is there some sort of security checkpoint? Are doors always locked? How often do security officers patrol the area? And, as my story relates, are the windows secure?

Ask your college's security personnel for information!

Your university's security office should have information on crime statistics on your campus, as well as what measures they take to prevent it. If you have concerns, voice them. Students are the pulse of the campus and security officials NEED to know if you notice anything strange, or feel unsafe.

Don't forget that colleges are usually safe!

While my stories might make you think that Trinity Western University is unsafe, quite the contrary! I always feel safe and secure, but there are random incidents that make you thankful that security officers know what they're doing. In general, most universities are safe havens. Just be aware of your surroundings, use common sense, and learn the facts about college security before you choose which campus to attend.