Your Safety - Be Aware Of Your Campus Guidelines

Recent events reported in the news can lead to an alarming profile of America as a dangerous and violent place for International Students.  In some ways and in some cases this can be true.

With this in mind Planet College reminds you that your saftey can depend on the area in which you live but it more directly depends on how you conduct yourself.

As an International Student it is likely you will be residing in an area which is largely populated by students.  Universities located in major cities are frequently surrounded by neighborhoods of residences occupied by students.  In some towns colleges are the center of social and cultural interchange and commerce. These are the true college towns. One example, Athens, Georgia,  is profiled here in an article in the U.S. News and World Report.  As this magazine reports Athens, Georgia grew up around The University of Georgia, making it a real college town.

Whether you are attending or will attend a small college in a small town or a large university in a big, big city your safety is of paramount importance both to you and your school.

Your school will take helpful measures to assure your security while you are a student. Schools of every size maintain a security or police force with an office located on campus. This office now issues crime alerts to inform the campus community of crimes ocurring within or near the schools boundarys. These forces also patrol campus and are often clearly visibly in uniforms and marked cars.

Your school will provide you with guidelines for your safety and security. These guidelines are usually available on the schools website. Also you should receive a copy of these guidelines in the packet you received upon admission.  Universities also provide clearly marked telephones on campus which connect directly to the Campus Security Office.  Some campuses provide security escort and shuttle services for students to their residence or the schools parking area.

Even with these measures in place it is wise for you to further assure your security while you are a student.

First get a copy of your schools saftey procedures and read them carefully. The security office on your campus is aware of your needs and these guidelines will be helpful for you to maintain your saftery.

Program your campus security office number, the number for the campus police into your cell phone.

Do not go unescorted anywhere after dark.

Do not go anywhere you have not previously visited alone.

Do not respond either agreeably or coperatively to requests from strangers for help or even asking for directions. Refer them to the campus information office.

These basic guidelines can assist you in maintaining a your personal saftey while a student in the USA.