This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Portland chapter.

I know this is college and we are all young adults, but any night away from campus bears keeping some practical things in mind:

Always make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave. If your cell is prone to dying quickly, don’t hesitate to toss your charger in your purse for the night, because the last thing you want is to be caught in an emergency with no way to get ahold of someone.

Tell someone where you are going. By no means give your roommate a play-by-play of your activities, but make sure at least one trustworthy person knows where you are planning to go, and let them know if you end up spending the night somewhere else.

Pack emergency cash, and I don’t mean your debit card. Downtown Portland can be super sketch at night as we all know, and you do not want to be stranded somewhere with no way to get home. Bus fare is $2.10 and you may not be anywhere near an ATM if you need quick cash. It’s also a good rule to have enough money to catch a taxi in a bind as well.

Never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know. This might sound dramatic, but it only takes a second for someone to slip something sketchy into a drink and put you in a vulnerable situation. A good idea is to bring your own bottle with a screw top and don’t let it out of your sight, even if you have to bring it into the bathroom with you.

Buddy system. It’s a good idea to always bring at least one friend and watch out for each other throughout the night. If you plan to drink, you should each set a limit beforehand so you can intervene for each other before one of you goes too far. Better yet, bring a friend who doesn’t drink who can drive you or others home at the end of the night. You should also never walk alone at night, even if you are relatively close to campus.

Pack all your essentials in a small, cross-body bag. A cross-body bag doesn’t need to be held onto so you can keep all your things with you, even if dancing. Consider bringing a disposable camera rather than you nice digital one, and toss in some Band-Aids and beauty essentials as well. Never leave your bag unattended.

Register your cell phone. iPhones can generally be located through GPS in case yours is stolen, but other kinds of phones sometimes have apps you can get which allow you to register them so they can be found as well by tracing their GPS location. In case your phone is lost or stolen though, make sure you have important numbers physically written down somewhere, such as Public Safety, a taxi service, any friends you are out with, and your roommate.

Staying Safe During Your Weekends Away From The Bluff

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