It’s Thursday night and the beginning of three of the most exciting nights to be a college student. Most likely you feel the best you have felt all week, wearing your most flattering jeans and favorite shirt, you and your friends walk with your arms linked and laughing loudly. While you walk from the relatively calm living room of the house party you have just entered to the claustrophobic, pitch-black basement you are surrounded by tipsy guys who enthusiastically eye you up as they search for someone to dance with.
And yes, it is fun to go out, dance with boys and feel care-free, but there is an underlying dark side to the world you have just entered. You may not realize it at the moment you are grinding with the guy, but later on when he tries to forcefully lead you to his room you will have entered the scarier side of partying, and discovered that the excitement you felt towards this guy on the dance floor will melt away the second you are lying on his bed trying to figure out if you consented to be there. Of course, this is an extreme situation but it is something that we are not warned of when entering college and thankfully there are ways to avoid it.
1. Never travel alone. Make sure you have people to walk with, dance with and leave with. Trust the friends you go out with and in-turn keep an eye out for them too.
2. Always watch your drinks. This is one my cousin taught me, make sure you watch your drink being poured and then once you have it cover it with your hand so that nothing can be slipped in there when you’re not paying attention. If you put your drink down go get another, don’t return to the one you already had.
3. Be willing to protect yourself. I was mortified when I returned home after my first week at Temple to find my parents had bought me a whistle and pepper spray. Now I am glad to have them and would highly recommend them to others.
4. Always have a fully charged cell phone with you. This allows you to be in contact with people at all times and make sure you have it safely near by.
5. Wear shoes you can walk in. This may seem obvious, but after watching other girls walking to parties this weekend I realized that there are so many females wearing stilettos that they can hardly walk in, let alone run. If you must wear crazily high shoes, take them with you and wear comfortable shoes for the walk to and from.
Remember, having fun isn’t all about drinking or being with guys. The best nights can sometimes be as simple as going out for a girl’s night to a nice restaurant or staying in your pajamas and watching movies with good friends. Either way, take care of yourself and one another so that no negative experiences cloud your later recollection of your college experience.
For more information visit: http://voices.yahoo.com/simple-college-safety-rules-college-girls-127028…, http://www.collegetips.com/college-girls/girl-safety-tips.php, or http://www.statesman.com/life/life-guide/safety-for-college-students-861…