Safe on Campus: Safety Tips for Women at College

Are you wondering how to stay safe on campus as a female college student? 

Stepping onto a college campus marks the beginning of an exciting journey of independence, learning and growth. 

As female students embark on this transformative time in their lives, it’s crucial to talk about safety as part of the college experience. 

The college environment can be a fun, dynamic, and vibrant place, full of excitement and incredible opportunities. 

However, the unfortunate reality is that women on college campuses must also be aware, cautious, and proactive to ensure a safe college experience. 

Whether the college students are first-year teenage girls or young women living off-campus, female college students must consider safety on campus. 

From navigating college nightlife to building strong networks of friends, from using technology and becoming confident in asserting your boundaries, this article is full of college safety tips for female students. 

Safety on a college campus is a key concern for college women, no matter if they’re teenagers just out of high school or older students with more life experience. This post is all about safety tips for female college students. 

Safety tips for Female College Students

Here are 55 important tips to help women at college stay safe.

The following tips can help you avoid scary situations on campus, prevent you from being an easy target for criminals, and stay safe at college. 

Stick with Friends to Stay Safe on Campus

1. Buddy System

When you go out for the evening, always have a buddy. Never go to a party without a friend. 

Obviously, it’s more fun to go with a friend anyway. But the best way to ensure you both have a safe evening is to stick together and look out for each other. 

2. Never leave anyone behind

Never ever leave a party or a bar without the friend you came with.

If you can’t find your friend, never just assume that your friend already left or is okay wherever she is. Find her and confirm that she is safe. 

3. Don’t leave with someone you just met

Don’t assume that someone you just met at a party or bar is who they say they are. Be skeptical. Never leave with someone you just met.

Don’t let your friend leave with someone they just met. And don’t let your friends leave you at a bar or a party with someone you don’t really know. 

4. Have a code word

Decide on a way to communicate to your friends that you’re uncomfortable or stuck.

Women often laugh and appear friendly when they feel threatened, because it feels safer than trying to walk away.

Be sure you have a way to signal to your friends that you need help getting rid of a creep. 

Never assume that someone else is having fun and feels safe just because she’s politely smiling and talking to someone. Always check with your friend to make sure she’s okay. 

5. Tell someone where you are

At night, let  your friend or roommate know when you’re leaving one location and heading back to the dorm.

Then let them know when you’ve arrived safely. 

6. Meet strangers in public places

If you’ve met someone online and are meeting IRL for the first time, always meet in a public space. Take a friend along for extra safety. 

If you’re on a first date with someone you’ve met before, but don’t really know, meet them in a public place. 

Tell friends where you’re going, or arrange for a friend to be at the same place, separately, just in case you feel uncomfortable and need help. 

By meeting someone publicly, they won’t know where you live. Trust your instincts, and if any alarm bells go off, make an excuse and get out of there. 

Don’t be nice

7. Don’t drive with strangers

Never get in the car or give a ride to anyone you just met. Riding in a car with someone you don’t know (or barely know) is unsafe. 

8. Don’t try to help strangers

It’s really sad that you shouldn’t help strangers, even if they may really need your help. Just remember that people with ill intent are really good at convincing victims to do what they want them to do, and making them think it’s urgent. 

This book about Ted Bundy should be a must-read for college girls. Bundy preyed on victims who trusted him and wanted to help him. 

9. Stay private

You don’t have to accept every Instagram or Snap Chat request. Keep your private information private until you get to know someone. 

10. Be rude

If you’re out with friends or on a date, and someone is making you uncomfortable, it’s not your job to look after their feelings.

You don’t have to pretend they’re funny or fascinating. 

You can say, “I’m going back to my friends now,” and walk away.

If you’re at a club or a bar, you turn to the bartender and say “I’m uncomfortable, and he’s making it hard for me to leave.” The bartender should help you out right away!

11. Keep your hands on your phone

Never lend your cell phone to anyone you don’t trust.

That stranger who needs to make an emergency call can easily click through to your Venmo account and send your hard-earned money to themselves, and you’ll have no idea and no chance to get that money back. 

Smart Alcohol Consumption to Stay Safe on Campus

Underage drinking is very real on college campuses. College kids are going to be in situations where there’s alcohol, and they might choose to drink. So, it’s worth talking about staying safe when consuming alcohol. 

12. Mind your drink

This advice might sound really dramatic, but countless women have had their drinks drugged by men.

This has resulted in sexual assault, theft, and kidnapping. I don’t want to be alarmist, but this is a real crime that has happened to so many college women. Keep control of your drink at all times.

13. Buy or pour your own drink

While you might be flattered if someone offers to buy you a drink, decline the offer unless it’s made by someone you absolutely trust.

If you don’t know the person or just met them, don’t take a drink from them.

14. Protect your drink

Keep your drink in your hand. Don’t set it down and turn away from it, even for a minute. 

There are covers that go over cups so it’s harder for someone to slip a drug into it. (Cup covers are one of many things you maybe never would have thought to bring to college.)

Never leave your drink unattended to go dance or talk to a friend. 

15. Don’t drink too much

It’s no secret that many college students are going to drink. If that’s what you choose to do, think about limiting the number of drinks you have so that you’re not too drunk to walk or communicate. 

Binge drinking is extremely dangerous, because the drinker will consume large amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time. Binge drinking can require a trip to the hospital to get your stomach pumped, and can lead to death. 

16. Count your drinks

Use a hair tie to count the number of drinks you have over the course of the evening.  

Start with a set number of hair ties as bracelets on your left wrist. For each drink you have, move the hairties to the right hand wrist. 

17. Understand how much is too much 

It’s important to understand what one drink is.  Many students get in trouble at college for overindulging in alcohol because they don’t understand how potent it is.

College may be many students’ first exposure to the availability of alcohol. 

Understanding how much is too much will help you plan in advance what’s the maximum amount you want to consume. 

18. Eat and hydrate before you go out

If you’re hungry and thirsty, you will naturally want to drink more of any beverage.

So, if you’re going to be drinking alcohol, be sure you’re not starving or thirsty before you go to a party.

19. Nurse a drink

Get good at making one drink last all night.

People often feel compelled to offer you  another drink or refill your cup if you’ve finished your drink. So go slow and finish your drink in your own sweet time. 

20. Drink a look-alike

Buy a pack of root beer or cream soda in classic glass bottles, then take the labels off.

In a dark party, no one is going to look closely at your bottle to see that you aren’t drinking beer. (And if they do, who cares anyway?) You’ll have a bottle in your hand and can drink it all night, without the side effects of alcohol.

Self-Defense to Stay Safe on Campus

21. She’s Birdie Personal Alarm

Birdie is a portable personal safety alarm that produces a loud noise and strobe lighting meant to distract an attacker and attract attention from passersby. 

22. Pepper spray

Pepper gel spray is a classic self defense spray. The potent pepper spray is meant to temporarily disable an attacker. 

23. Self Defense Course

It’s a great idea to take a self-defense class before you go to college.

These courses might be offered at a local YMCA or gym. Some colleges offer self defense courses as part of the university’s PE offerings or as special events. 

Safety at home on campus

24. Lock your doors when you come home/leave

Locking your door is certainly no guarantee someone won’t break into your dorm room or apartment, but it is a deterrent. 

It sounds so simple, but if your door is locked, it takes a little more effort for a would-be thief or assailant to open it. 

Many crimes are crimes of opportunity, so you want to make it as hard as possible for someone to get into your personal space. 

Seriously, this is the easiest way to prevent crime. Lock your doors when you’re inside and when you leave. 

25. Lock your windows at night and when you’re not home

Same with your windows, especially if you live on the first floor or have a balcony. 

Keep them locked and closed when you’re gone or asleep. Don’t make it easy for someone to slip into your apartment. 

26. Never tell anyone where you live

No one needs to know except people you trust.

Do not tell someone you just met what dorm you live in. Don’t reveal what street your off-campus apartment is on. 

In fact, if someone you don’t know is asking, be vague or lie. Tell them you live in a totally different area than you actually do. 

If you work in customer service or you’re just a friendly person, you might feel like casually mentioning where you live just to make conversation, but don’t.  

27. Don’t hold the door open

Never prop open the dorm door because you’re expecting friends later and don’t want to have to go down to let them in. 

Also never hold open doors to let random people you don’t know into the residence hall behind you. If they know someone in the dorm, they can text their friend to let them in. 

If you don’t know the person, you don’t know their intentions. 

28. Choose safety-aware roommates

When choosing a roommate or multiple roommates, be sure you’re all on the same page with regards to locking your doors.

Everyone needs to have good habits about locking up, even if you feel like you live in a “safe” neighborhood. 

Smart Transportation to Stay Safe on Campus

29. Set up a Lyft/Uber account

Set up your account before you need it.

Link a credit card so that you’re prepared to use the account whenever you need it.

If you don’t have a credit card, ask if you can use your parent’s card. (If you’re a parent reading this, offer to set up an account for your kid to use whenever they need it, no questions asked.)

30. Verify your Uber/Lyft

Check the license plate number, make and model of the vehicle before you get it to be sure it matches the vehicle you ordered with the app. 

Ask your Uber/Lyft driver what your name is before you get in the car.

 Make sure that the driver’s ID matches the name of the driver you booked. 

Never give your driver your name. Instead, ask them to provide the information. Ask what their name is and who they’re picking up. 

Be sure you are getting into the right car. 

31. Travel with friends

Whenever possible, travel with a friend or in a group.

Always be sure to keep track of everyone in your group so you don’t leave a friend behind.

32. Stay on your phone 

If you feel unsafe in an Uber or Lyft, call someone.

You can call a friend, a family member, or the campus security office.  Tell them where you are and talk to them for the duration of your ride. 

33. Car Safety on Campus

If you have your car on campus, park in well-lit areas in on-campus parking lots patrolled by campus security guards and monitored by security cameras. If you’re leaving campus late at night, these garages will be safer than dark side streets off campus. 

When you enter the garage, scan for anyone or any vehicle that looks suspicious. If you’re worried, call for a campus security escort to take you to your car. Be alert and aware, not distracted. 

Approach your car with your keys out. Look in the back seat and passenger seat before getting into the car. 

Once you get in, immediately lock the doors and start the car. Leave right away. 

When you exit your car, remove or hide any valuables. Never leave cash in the car.

Also, never leave paperwork with personal information, like your name or address, visible in the car.

Always lock your car doors. 

Use Campus Resources to be Safe on Campus

34. Get an escort home 

Use your college’s shuttle services to get a ride back to your dorm after a late night of studying on the other side of campus.

Ask the campus escort service to walk you across campus if there’s no shuttle. 

35. Tracking apps

Some universities let you log your departure and expected arrival time into their tracking system.

When you arrive back at your dorm or apartment, you notify campus security through the app. If you don’t notify them, campus police or campus escort services will come looking for you to see if you arrived home safely. 

36. Save the numbers

Keep campus security’s phone number in your cell phone contrast list, in case of an emergency. The campus police want you to be safe, so don’t be afraid to call if you need help. 

Also be sure you have saved phone numbers for your emergency contacts. It’s a good idea to be able to get help quickly, in the event of an emergency.

37. Security call boxes on campus

It might seem old school, but most college campuses have emergency call boxes.

These emergency phones are usually along the main routes across campus. They are supposed to be placed so that you will always have one in sight as you walk across campus. 

These boxes have emergency phones and a  button to push that will immediately connect you to campus security. 

38. Research safety at your college 

Look up the Clery Act reports to uncover campus crime statistics.

Google the name of the local newspaper and “crime” to find out more about crime rates. Your search might turn up on-campus crimes, as well as off-campus crime in the city or town where the college is located. 

Research crime rates for the area. Look at violent crime, property crime, and sexual assault rates.

Ask current students if they feel safe on campus. 

39. Report suspicious activity

If you see something happening that doesn’t seem safe, report it to campus security. 

Online Safety in College

40. Make your Social Media accounts private

You might want everyone to see your posts, until someone really creepy slides into your DMs, and already knows where you live, where you study, your favorite restaurant, and where you’ll be on the weekend.

Strangers can learn a lot about you from your social media sites, so don’t give them access. 

41. Set strong passwords

It’s time to take online security seriously. Make sure your passwords are different across accounts.

Use complicated passwords, with letters, numbers, and characters. 

Of course, this will make them hard to remember. Either use a password storage system or an analog password notebook to store them. 

42. Don’t share private photos

Just because you’re in love now, doesn’t mean that the relationship won’t go up in flames.

A good rule of thumb is to never send a picture that you’d be embarrassed to show your grandma. 

Even if your special someone stays true and keeps your photo private, there’s no guarantee that someone else won’t hack their phone or laptop. The hacker will have no qualms sharing your picture with the world. 

43. Be scam savvy

Don’t click on any texts or emails that claim your account’s been hacked or UPS can’t deliver your package. 

Never give anyone your bank account information, your credit card number, or any personal information. 

44. Report cyber bullying and cyber stalking

If someone is harassing you online, go straight to the police. 

Don’t try to reason with them or defend yourself. Simply stop engaging with them.

Take screenshots of all messages, then block them, and report the incidents to the police. Take out a restraining order if necessary. 

45. Don’t share your location with Everyone

Turn off snap maps in Snapchat.

Since you went to college, you’ve added so many people you barely know. You don’t need these strangers knowing where you live and where you go. 

Use your tech to stay safe on campus

46. Charge your phone

Keep your phone charged so that you can call someone for help, no matter how late it is. You never want to be unable to get help in an emergency. 

This credit card sized portable phone charger is perfect to keep with you, in case your phone does run out of charge!

47. Share your location with someone you trust

Share your phone’s location with your roommate, best friend, or family member. Be sure someone you trust knows where you are. 

48. Get a Watch with cellular connection

Consider a watch with a cellular option.

In this case, even if you don’t have your phone with you, you can use your watch to call for help. 

This Apple Watch allows you to make a call, send an SOS, and share your GPS location.

49. SOS button

Know how to use your Apple or Android phone to quickly make an SOS call in an emergency. 

50. Safety apps

Use the Noonlight personal safety app.

If you’re feeling unsafe, you press and hold the activation button.

Once you’re safe, release the button and enter your PIN number.

If you are in danger, release the button without entering your PIN. Noonlight will notify the police of your location. 

Be Aware and Prepared to stay safe on campus

51. Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

Always be aware of your surroundings. 

At night, in secluded areas or in poorly lit areas, stay off your phone and don’t use headphones. 

52. Trust your instincts

If a situation feels uncomfortable or unsafe, trust your gut and get out of there.

Trusting yourself applies if  you are in a dark alley or at a party. If you sense that something isn’t right, remove yourself from that situation. Read The Gift of Fear for insight on the power of intuition.

53. Use well-traveled pathways

Stick to well-lit, busy pathways through campus whenever possible.

Avoid shortcuts that aren’t safe. Take a few more minutes on your route home and avoid isolated and dark areas of campus. 

54. Ask for help

If you feel unsafe, ask for help.

Talk to your RA if you’re having disagreements with your roommate or if anyone in your dorm makes you feel unsafe or is harassing you.

If the RA doesn’t resolve the issue, talk to someone in Residential Life. You have the right to feel safe in your dorm. 

55. Protect your stuff

Secure any personal items that are valuable or would be difficult to replace. 

Use a locker with a lock to secure valuable items at the gym. 

Bring a small safe to college for personal items, like IDs, emergency cash, debit card, credit cards, or jewelry. 

Use a laptop lock to keep your laptop safe. 

Final thoughts on safety for female college students

The college years are an exciting time, marked by newfound independence, new friends, and adventures.

Staying safe at college is essential for any college student, and safety for college women on campus can be especially challenging. 

Staying vigilant, using campus resources, prioritizing your well-being, trusting your friends, and making deliberate choices will all help ensure your safety on campus. 

Taking all these suggested safety measures may not prevent a crime. However, it’s still a good idea to make it difficult for a criminal to target you. 

Avoiding potentially dangerous situations and taking safety precautions is a great way to try to stay safe on campus. 

Campus safety for women college students is absolutely essential. These campus safety tips to help women stay safe at college will help you navigate college life confidently and safely.