Safety at UNH

Weeks in college can feel centuries long because of tests to study for, homework to accomplish, meetings to attend, and, obviously, classes. By the time the weekend rolls around, everyone just wants to have a good time. These can be the best four years of your life, but if you’re not careful, they can easily turn bad.
            
Her Campus enjoys providing information to help you do your best in school, look your best, and find some Campus Cuties, but safety on campus is something that too easily gets swept under the rug.
           
Last weekend some friends of mine were having just a typical Thursday night. They went out to a friend’s apartment, had a little to drink, and after a few hours decided to head on home for some late night munchies. As they walked home, they were chatting and laughing about the night’s events, completely unaware of their surroundings. As they walked into their house, one of them turns around, and a male is right behind them, trying to get into the house. They quickly shut the door, but he didn’t leave. He tried multiple times to get into the front door, then went around the to back door as well. They called the police and had him arrested, but this serves as a good lesson for us all.

They were lucky that everything turned out just fine, but other girls on campus can learn from this incident and take active steps in ensuring their safety.
           
Never walk around campus at night by yourself. When you go out with your friends, make an agreement that you won’t leave anyone alone at the party, or let anyone walk home by herself. This makes for a safe walk home, but also for a safer experience at the party. If a friend is left alone, and is intoxicated, she may be put into a dangerous situation. I certainly would hope my friends would do the same for me, regardless of if I drunkenly assure them I want to stay.

             
While you and your friends walk home, be sure to keep an eye out on your surroundings. I’m not implying that you need to be searching for potential predators, but just be aware of what’s going on and who is around you. Try not to be too immersed in conversation that you completely disregard everyone around you. More importantly, don’t keep your eyes glued to your cell phone. When your eyes are looking down at texts or if you’re completely engaged in a phone call, you’re more likely to be unaware of someone following too close.
           
When you do get home safely, take a moment to lock your doors. All too often, drunk idiots stumble into the wrong apartment or house, and whether they mean harm or not, no one wants to deal with a drunk, scary stranger.
           
With all this in mind, go out there and have a blast! One of Her Campus’ new favorite motto is, “You Only Live Once,” after all.