4 Security Mistakes Students Living Off-Campus Make
Share
Living off-campus was one of my best decisions while in college; although to be fair, the food at my school was at best high school lunch quality. Still, living off-campus meant cooking my own food, coming home whenever I wanted to, and finally putting a ping pong table in the living room.
Many college students choose to live off-campus because they finally get that independence they’ve always wanted since living on-campus has its rules and limitations. However, with too much freedom comes overbearing responsibility, and some students keep the same home security habits as when they lived in the dorms.
Here are common mistakes students make that makes them vulnerable for a break-in.
1. Forgetting to Lock the Door.
The rule of thumb to ensure 100% door security is to lock the deadbolt, and then checking to see if it is completely secured every time you leave the house. Everyone knows these procedures; however, if you’re a college student and you think that your friend is home because he has class at 7 pm, you might leave the house with the doors unlocked. Well– that is a gamble that could bite you in the back.
Students tend to forget to lock all doors and, most times, they forget that the windows, the back doors, and the garage doors need to be locked as well. Lock the doors… Always lock the doors.
2. Letting Door to Door Salesmen Inside your Home
In college, I had one suspicious pest control salesperson knocking on my door selling his product and then asking if he could use our bathroom. We did not let him in, but our neighbors did, and guess what happened after we came back from the holidays.
If you live in a college city, you are quite aware of when school starts and when the holidays come around. You are not the only one– burglars and home intruders know this as well. Therefore, when the semester is almost ending, they will go door to door to scoping out some of the stuff students have in their home. Don’t fall for their trick and always be cautious.
3. Leaving All Of Your Valuables for Display
To be more specific, forgetting to conceal your TVs or gaming consoles for the holidays. There are many college students who forget to cover their TV’s with a blanket or hiding their desktops under their bed. Unless you take those items with you during your break, hide all your valuables.
Even if you close all the blinds in your home or cover your whole house with a giant blanket, there will always be daylight that will sneak its way through.
4. Posting on Social Media
Social Media is dangerous. It is an amazing tool, but it is so dangerous. Millennials love to post on social media. I love to post on social media. However, we forget how many people look into our posts.
When students post that they will miss everyone during the holidays and how their whole housemates will be gone for a break that is like hanging an LED sign saying “EMPTY HOUSE ENTER HERE”. Be safe, and avoid posting about leaving.
Let Us Know
What was your experience like living off-campus during school? Let us know by commenting below. Also, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. We will have weekly updates on new blog content about home security, IoT, and Olive & Dove’s future products.