Being a woman in 2020 can be frightening . Watching out for your own well-being as well as your friends’ is simply part of the girl-code. If you’re a woman living off-campus, you’ve probably gotten into the routine of checking who’s behind you when walking alone, never having both headphones in and maybe even faking a phone call when walking by someone. Although those are all very wise, here are some more tips to help you feel safer when living off-campus.
Sharing your location
As simple as this may sound, it may save you from a very uncomfortable situation. Sharing your location with either your roommates or a few friends is a precautionary step to feel safer, especially when walking alone at night! It’s as simple as letting someone know that you’re leaving your current location and they can easily check up on you until you arrive at your destination!
Plan your route ahead of time
Planning your route ahead of time ensures you won’t get lost and allows you to avoid suspicious areas. Additionally, in relation to the first tip, letting a friend know of your planned route allows them to check in on you, and if you’re going off track, to contact you immediately!
Buddy System
This may seem obvious, but it’s guaranteed to help you feel slightly more at ease! Walking with a buddy (or multiple) will help relieve stress on your walk home and help make the time go by faster! Pairing a buddy system with the first tip of sharing your location is an easy way to maintain direct communication with someone.
Mace
Now this one might seem a little extreme, but I think it’s worth it. Pepper spray is illegal in Canada but bear and coyote mace isn’t! As an easy pick-up at your local Canadian Tire, this spray has a strong stream with a potent scent to assure a bit of time for you to run away from a truly scary situation. Bonus: The Sabre brand spray comes with a key ring to easily attach it to your keychain (and it comes in a pink or white casing).
Basic Self Defense
Taking 10-15 minutes out of your day to practice some basic self defense moves with a roommate or friend could save your life one day! The YouTube video below is specified for self defense moves that every woman should know. The two women in the video go through multiple scenarios that could occur and demonstrate the exact movements to subdue the aggressor. This may seem intense to learn, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
To sum it up, we shouldn’t be scared to be women. It’s unfortunate that we must plan so much ahead of time simply to feel safe, but we can’t control anyone but ourselves. It’s better to feel safe in the moment than to regret not being prepared. Please share this article with your girlfriends or anyone you believe would need it.
Stay safe ladies, and when in doubt… RUN!! XO