The November-December holiday season is the biggest travel time of the year, starting with Thanksgiving. According to TravelAdvisor, 43% of Americans plan to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, and college students are a big part of that number. Every year as Thanksgiving rolls around, college students get excited to return home for a nice home-cooked meal and some quality time with family and friends. For new students who may have only recently gotten used to campus life and how to keep themselves safe in their new environments, traveling alone may present a new challenge.
For many students, Thanksgiving break is their first time returning home during the fall semester. But before leaving campus for the holiday break, here are some travel safety tips to keep in mind that will help keep you and your things safe:
- Always lock your door before leaving your room. This is an obvious tip whether you are traveling on a long trip or simply leaving your room to go to class.
- Do not prop any exterior doors when transporting you belongings outside the residence hall. This will allow unescorted visitors into the building, putting all residents at risk.
- Report any malfunctioning locks, doors or windows to your residence life staff before leaving on break.
- Don’t start packing or loading up a car without keys in hand. Make sure not to leave your keys in your room.
- Do not leave messages on your door about when you will be returning. There’s no need to promote the fact that you aren’t available to watch your residence.
- If your roommate or suitemate is not going home for Thanksgiving break, make sure they know when you will be gone and for how long.
- Secure your valuables and engrave expensive items with identifying information before going away.
- Always lock your doors and windows, especially if you reside on the first or second floor of your building.
- Do not leave your identification, keys, wallets, checkbooks, or other valuables in open view.
These are just a few or the tips that can leave you and your things safe and secure when leaving your residence for an extended period of time. Knowing that will allow you to enjoy your time away and come back ready to tackle the rest of the semester.
Great article, James. Thank you so much for sharing these tips. Very helpful!
Thanks for your important traveling tips. One day I left my door open but everything was ok.
Don’t wear jewelry – Unless you’re staying in a luxury hotel and have their private cabs driving you and picking you up.
Dont leave anything of value in your dorm!! I left my laptop in my room over Thanksgiving break and it was stolen. There were 5 other rooms broken into that day and the campus police said it was a planned robbery. Holidays and breaks are a targeted time for thieves as they know many students are out of town. Be careful!!
Yeah, good tips, especially last one is relevant to me – I lost my wallet two times in the bus!