Follow Security Tips to Stay Safe on Campus as an International Student

It’s important to be aware of your safety whenever you’re in an unfamiliar place, and while moving to America may have already made many international students sensitive to their surroundings, being conscious of your safety on campus is particularly important.

Although your college campus is most likely to feel like both the social hub and the safe space of your college experience, many college campuses are open and easily accessible by the public. Theft or other small crimes can be quite common, so it’s important that international students learn to be security-savvy while on campus.

Burglaries and petty thefts are some of the most common crimes students face on campus, so international students should always make keeping their valuables secure a priority. If you’ve set up a temporary work desk in the library, it may seem like a drag to think about packing everything into your bag again when you want to go for a bathroom break. But resist the urge to leave your personal items lying around on the table.

Laptop and phone thefts are incredibly common in campus libraries, so either study with a friend who can watch your valuables when you need to take a break or be prepared to pack everything back into your backpack.​

If you encounter trouble on your college campus, international students should always feel like help is nearby. Many campuses have a police system that can get help to you far sooner than calling 911 would. These numbers should be made available to you during your international student orientation, so make sure you store them in your phone.

Most American colleges are very committed to their college security, and responses from the campus police – when necessary – are usually swift. Campus police at some institutions, like the University of Mississippi, includes a canine unit, with a sniffer dog trained to pick out drugs.​

The University of California—Berkeley, and many other colleges, have emergency text-messaging systems, so that the college security can text students to inform them of campuswide emergencies. This is always useful if there’s an emergency such as a gas leak, or if classes are suddenly cancelled.

Learning how to be safe is one of the best means of crime prevention, and many colleges will offer seminars or lectures so that students can be safe in and around the campus. At Arkansas State University, for example, students have the opportunity to get active, with self-defense classes available, and handbooks offering advice on how to handle certain campus emergencies.  ​

When it comes to getting out and about on college campuses, it’s important to be especially vigilant after dark. If you get caught up in the pattern of late nights cramming for finals or midterms, or head to the gym for a midnight workout, don’t walk home alone.

Many campuses install special security programs for students who want to travel home late. UC—Berkeley has a student-run security system called BearWalk, where between dusk and 4 a.m. students can call the free system and be escorted across the campus safely to their front door. After 4 a.m. a night shuttle runs until daybreak. If you’re lucky you may even get a ride in one of the security buggies.

Although your college campus will feel like home as an international student, it’s important to be aware of your safety and security to ensure that you are having the best of your college experience. American colleges work hard to keep their students safe, and as long as students are sensible, their on-campus experience should be positive.