Written by Molly Lee (DMU Journalism student)
Staying safe as a student is crucial, as you may feel more vulnerable in a city away from your family. However, there are many simple ways to ensure your safety.
Going out precautions
Although going out should be a way of relaxing and unwinding, it is crucial you still have precautions to ensure your safety. Precautions include letting someone know where you’re going and how long for, avoid badly lit areas when walking at night, be careful of where your personal belongings are.
You could also carry a personal alarm with you. These are devices that emit loud noises to help deter attackers and alert nearby people, if needed.
Also avoid walking home alone at night – instead, walk in a group, travel by taxi or stay overnight with friends
Make sure your house/flat is secure
No matter where you live, it is important to lock any outside doors in your accommodation. All your exterior doors should have working locks which should be locked for your safety.
Another useful thing to do is keep your valuables, such as any electronic devices, in a secure place where passersby cannot see them through the window etc. This prevents a potential thief from looking in and seeing your laptop as something to steal.
Keep personal details safe
Identity theft is an important thing to protect yourself from. You may receive spam calls or messages that ask for any personal information, passwords or bank account details – all of which you should be suspicious of. Do not give out personal information unless you are certain the contact is valid.
Be careful with cash and money online
The last place you want your maintenance loan or student funds to go to is in a criminal’s hands. Unfortunately, there are many ways someone can try to commit fraud. If you are withdrawing cash from an ATM, check it for signs of interference before inserting your bank card.
If you are shopping online, check the website you are on for a padlock next to the URL, as this verifies that it is safe. Alternatively, quickly search up the website on Trustpilot for reviews.
Make use of your university’s resources
Both DMU and UOL have various resources to help you live safely.
DMU has a Be Smart, Be Safe initiative between the university and the campus police team. This initiative strives to create a safe environment for study, work, leisure and living. The university also has a 24/7 security team on campus who patrol halls of residence and campus buildings.
You can contact DMU security by phone on 0116 2577642 (extension 7642), by email at security@dmu.ac.uk or visit them in person in the Estates Service Building on campus.
UOL also have a university security team that operates 24/7 across the whole of the campus, including accommodation.
You can visit UOL security by visiting them in the Security Lodge on campus, via the Safezone app, by phone on +44 (0)116 2522023 or by email at control@le.ac.uk.
If you have any safety concerns or queries regarding your accommodation with Sulets, contact the team by email on enquiries@sulets.com or by phone on 0116 467 0315.