Five Tips for Preventing Theft at College

Many different types of people attend college nowadays. Most of these people are honest individuals, but some are not. And as unfortunate as it is, theft is a possibility at college. If you are a new or returning college student, what can you do to prevent theft at college? In this article, I will describe five things that college students can do to minimize the chance of theft at college.

College Theft Prevention Tip #1 - Don't Bring Anything Too Valuable

The only one-hundred percent effective thing you can do to prevent your belongings from being stolen at college is not to bring them to school. This tip might not be valid for all items - most college students will bring computers, after all - but for things like family heirlooms or expensive instruments, it's something worth considering. Don't bring an $800 guitar to college. Instead, get a $100 guitar that is still fun to play, but that won't be the end of the world if it is stolen. For every valuable item that you bring, consider if you actually need it or will actually use it. There's no sense in risking an item's theft if you aren't going to use it while at school.

College Theft Prevention Tip #2 - Don't Flaunt What You Own

If you do decide to bring valuables to college, whether out of necessity or choice, don't flaunt them. For example, don't brag that you have a $500 camera in your dorm room. Don't constantly have your iPhone out in public, and try to keep your computer in your room as much as possible. By minimizing the number people that know that you have valuable items at college, you are minimizing the risk of theft.

College Theft Prevention Tip #3 - Lock Up Valuables

As much as possible, lock up your valuables in a lockbox or small safe. You might want to lock up items like checkbooks, credit cards, small electronics, money, or anything else small and easily stolen. You might want to attach this lockbox to a shelf in your closet or something else. It might not prevent a determined thief from stealing these items, but it could act as a deterrent and could buy you time to return to your room. Likewise, if you bring a bike to college, use at least one bike lock to secure it to a bike rack, if not two. Using two different types of bike locks can help to prevent theft, as a bike thief might not have the tools to break both types of locks. And use a computer lock to keep your laptop safe.

College Theft Prevention Tip #4 - Hide Valuables

If you don't want to invest in a lockbox or safe for college, at least hide your most valuable items. Consider putting some items in a place that few people would search, such as a zippered pocket of an inner liner of a winter coat, or a similar location. If you are going to do this, make sure that you are the only person that knows about your hiding spot, or make sure that you can trust your roommate.

College Theft Prevention Tip #5 - Keep Your Door Closed

Many college dorm rooms have doors that lock automatically when they are closed. If your dorm room has a door like this, take advantage of this and close it when you leave. Talk to any roommates you might have and make sure that they do this as well. A heavy locked door is probably the best measure of prevention against theft at college.

While theft at college does happen, it doesn't have to happen to you. By following the above tips, you can avoid this problem and enjoy your college career. If you have any other suggestions for how new college students can prevent theft at college, feel free to share your thoughts in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!