Safety Tips For A Student At Georgia State University

There are certain safety tips that every student should have when going off to college, and for those that plan to live in the city, there are extra precautions that should be considered. I’m here to share all of the safety tips that I learned while attending Georgia State University.

When walking, leave at least one headphone out

Atlanta is very busy, especially during rush hour and drivers can be reckless, so it is best to stay alert. Your safety doesn’t only pertain to other people on the street but cars themselves. I have been in situations where if I didn’t hear my surroundings, I could have been hit.

Don’t walk alone at night if you can avoid it

Unlike some other popular metropolitan cities, Atlanta does not run 24/7. Of course there are some places that stay lively throughout the night, but around the Georgia Sate University campus, it gets extremely quiet and deserted. For your own safety, try to have a buddy system in place. If you find that there is no one to go with you, call campus police, they are there to ensure your safety and that includes making sure that you get to where you need to go safely.

Know the city

Georgia State University is not a closed campus, so it is always imperative that students familiarize themselves with the area in case they get lost. Especially if you feel like you are not safe, you need to know where to send help or where to go. It is also just a good idea to know where you are because you potentially may have classes that are not located on the main campus.

Familiarize yourself with the bus routes, even if you don’t think you need them

Some might think they will be safe only knowing a few routes that they need on a day to day basis, but it is important to know them all. Georgia state has four bus routes (red, green, purple, and blue). You can find the routes to each at every bus stop. Get to know these routes because you never know where you will need to go for a class or to meet a professor and at times it is more safe to take a bus than to walk. I once got on the blue route, not knowing that it would take me off campus to the Braves stadium and had to ride it all the way back to campus. That was more of an inconvenience than safety issue, but in case you feel your safety is at risk, you should know how to get your self out of the situation.

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Don’t put your valuables on display

There were countless emails about theft of phones and laptops because students had there belongings out. To keep these items safe, when walking, even if you want to listen to your music, put your phone in your pocket. If there is an extra barrier to get to your phone, there is less of a chance someone will try to steal it. Unfortunately, the library at Georgia State University gained a name for itself as being a hot spot for the left of laptops and other electronics. Make sure you keep an eye on your belongings and don’t walk away from them if you do not trust someone else to keep an eye out for your things. I often saw unaccompanied laptops and phones because their owners went to the bathroom or to get a snack.

Keep your head on a swivel

This stays with the theme of being aware of your surroundings. Like I said previously, Atlanta can be very busy and Georgia State University is a large school. Wherever you go, you should know who is around you. I lived in University Commons for some time and on Friday nights, there were always people congregating at the entrance and some of those people would be adults, who didn’t attend the university, sitting trying to talk to students or invite them to various places. For your safety, you should be aware of the people around you and what they are doing.

Above all, Georgia State has campus police to ensure the safety of their students and you can always get in contact with them, but for the times when that isn’t an option, I hope this helps! Let me know below if you have any other safety tips that others should know!

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