College Dorm Room Safety: Hit the Books in a Safe Environment

If you live in a dorm on a college campus, then you may want to consider ways to further your safety by securing your room. Many dorms are access controlled, and some even have security guards and a sign-in desk. That doesn’t mean that unauthorized people still don’t get in from time to time. People can get in through doors that residents leave propped open, open/unlocked windows, or by piggybacking legit residents when they swipe into the dorm.

Increase Your Safety by Securing Your College Dorm Room

Being alert to your surroundings is your best defense. Pay attention to things like doors or windows that are open or unlocked and shouldn’t be. If you see someone in your dorm that’s unescorted, keep an eye on them. Likewise, if they don’t appear to be coming or going from a resident’s room, consider calling security or your Resident Assistant (RA). If they aren’t a student or aren’t visiting one, they don’t need to be there.

Get to know your neighbors. You don’t have to be best friends but learn who lives in your dorm so you know who belongs. Know the location of your RA, security (if your building has it), and have the phone numbers for both.

Physical Security

Physical security measures are a lot more limited in a dorm room than in an apartment. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still things you can do to keep yourself safe.

One of the simplest methods is to make sure you lock your doors and windows. Particularly if you’re on the ground floor. The old cut-down broom handle works wonders for sliding doors and windows. It isn’t foolproof, but it’s a simple backup to a lock and requires someone to actually break the glass to remove it. If you want something a little more modern, there are various slider locks that are available for reasonable prices.

You can reinforce your door with various wedges and braces that are available online or sometimes at local hardware stores. These are generally very affordable and easy to use. You can also take them with you when the school year is finished and bring them back to your new dorm the following school year.

Increase Your Safety by Securing Your College Dorm Room.

There are various door and window alarms that are easy to set up and don’t require any sort of permanent installation as well. Some are in combination with the door wedge, and some simply hang on the doorknob. Others come with door and window sensors but don’t require any drilling or permanent modifications to your residence.

You might consider a camera system, but being that dorm rooms often don’t offer much privacy to begin with, I’d think about that option. Especially if you have roommates, everyone would have to be in agreement on a system like that.

Talk to Your Friends and Roommates

If you have roommates, any security plan has to involve them. Make sure you’re on the same page about keeping doors and windows locked and any additional security measures.

College lifestyles can be fluid, but generally, knowing when everyone who lives with you comes and goes can be helpful. You’ll have an idea when people should be home or when they should be coming home.

If you’re doing something unusual, consider texting each other and letting each other know what’s up. Coming home late or not at all? Gone for the weekend? If you know they’re not coming home, you know you’re good to engage extra security measures like door wedges or alarms.

Also, make sure you have good communication in case something is wrong. Be sure you can get in touch with your roommates or friends in the building in case you need help. Likewise, this is important if you need to tell them something is wrong. Even if you’re safe, if there’s an incident in or around your residence hall, you may want to warn them to stay away or come in through a different entrance.

It’s helpful to have important numbers available too. Having an old-school printed or written list of numbers still works just fine. Cell numbers of roommates and a family contact should be a minimum.

Consider adding campus security, as well as local police and emergency service numbers for things that may not require a 911 call. You certainly can, and should, have these numbers in your phone as well. But having them written down somewhere as a backup doesn’t hurt.

Common Sense and Caution

You don’t need to live in a state of paranoia and fear, but a little common sense and caution can make your college experience a safe one. Paying attention to your surroundings, learning who or what should and shouldn’t be there, and acting on that information is important.

If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. Don’t dismiss that feeling and just blunder ahead like nothing is amiss. Take a moment and step back to assess the situation.

Don’t know someone hanging around your building? Maybe pick an alternate entrance, or grab/call a friend before you enter. Are doors or windows to your dorm room open when they shouldn’t be? Call your roommate and make sure they aren’t home early. If they aren’t, call security and have someone check it out for you.

Especially on a college campus, there are people and resources available to help you and keep you safe. Take advantage of that and never go it alone if you feel like something isn’t right.

For more ideas on safety tips, take a look at the earlier article Security Systems for Rental Homes here on PDW. Many of the suggestions there can apply to dorm rooms as well.