How to Keep Your Friends and Yourself Safe in College

College can be a great time in your life, but it can also be very dangerous. If you are willing to play it safe, you might get through it in one piece. The following information should help you to make the right choices that will help you to keep yourself and your friends safe.

Do Not Drink and Drive

College students often feel like they are invincible. Coupled with the ease of obtaining alcohol on most campuses, it should come as no surprise that drinking and driving rates are far higher among college students than they should be. Getting in the car after drinking is essentially like pointing a loaded gun at traffic. In a best-case scenario, you might end up getting pulled over and getting a felony. Worst case, you might end up harming yourself or others. Most colleges have some sort of transportation available for students who are unable to drive, so look into that before you choose to drink.

Drug Law

It goes without saying that you need to avoid illegal drugs. They can, after all, get you sent to prison. College students, for whatever reason, tend to ignore this. If the threat of jail is not enough, try to remember what you might give up if you do choose to partake and get caught. Most colleges will expel students for illegal drug use. More pressingly, the federal government will also disallow any form of financial aid for those students with drug crimes on record. Using illegal drugs really can cost you your future.

Brush Up on Your Tenancy Rights

Finding a place to live off campus is easy, but finding the right place is very hard. If you want to make sure you stay legally protected, you should make sure that you know your rights as a tenant. As this varies by state, your real best bet is to read your contract. Never sign anything without knowing what it means, even if you have to have a lawyer read over it with you. Landlords can easily try to fool young tenants with bad contracts, so make sure that you know exactly what kind of agreement you are willing to sign before you get a new place.

Never Go Alone

College campuses can be very dangerous for single individuals, so never go alone. If you are going out at night, make sure that you always bring a group. Many colleges have services available for those who need an escort, and finding a friend or two on the way back from the bus should be no problem. The more time you spend in a group, the better the chance you stand of avoiding a mugging. While it might not be the easiest way to travel, it is a great way to ensure your safety.

Take Advantage of College Programs

Depending on your college, you might get access to no-cost or low-cost services during your years at university that might not be available after graduation. Some colleges have health care facilities available at relatively low cost for students, while almost every major American university has some kind of student counseling available. If you or a friend is feeling sick or depressed, try to make sure that you take some time to investigate what your school has to offer. You might be surprised by what you find.

If you do nothing else, always remember to be prepared. Make your phone calls before you make the wrong choices and always read before you sign. If you can do that, you should be able to avoid most of the problems that people encounter in college.

Author Bio
Andrew Wright is a writer who creates informative articles related to law. In this article, he offers tips to keep university students out of trouble and wishes to encourage further study with an LLM Criminal Law Degree.