<p>I'm sure most people will bring stuff like their laptops, cameras, ipods, etc. to college but how do you keep all this stuff safe from theft? Do most dorms have safes or closets with locks for you to keep all your valuables in?</p>
<p>The lock on your door?</p>
<p>That won't help if you have a roommate.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on the school. Here (Dartmouth), i leave my room unlocked with my laptop and jewelry and everything inside, and on nice days, the front door of the dorm is left propped open - its a very safe environment, and there's not a lot of theft.</p>
<p>If you're worried about your roommate stealing stuff....
1) Get a single
2) Get a new roommate
or
3) Have a little faith that the person you live with isn't out to steal everything you own</p>
<p>
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2) Get a new roommate
[/quote]
Is it really possible?</p>
<p>yes - though it will probably involve you moving</p>
<p>Many students come to campus with a small safe for valuables. This seemed like too much for what D wanted to safeguard, so we settled on a small lockbox with a combination lock (available at Target/Walmart/Office Max) and ran a security cable thru the handle and around the bedframe. It was good to have for smaller valuables and paperwork/IDs and didn't weigh nearly as much as a small safe.
If you bring a laptop to school, purchase a cable tie down which is designed to attach to a laptop and secure it to your desk. It's easy to use and much easier than replacing the laptop.
S of a friend had his wallet stolen from his room. Turned out to have been taken by someone on his floor. This fellow student had a whole collection of wallets in his room that he had stolen from his dorm and other dorms that had easy access. (Not only was he a thief he was a stupid thief for hanging on to the empty wallets!) Don't let yourself be an easy target. Don't see everyone as a thief, but recognise the possibilities of theft. You'll have enough to think about in school w/o having to worry about your identity and money being stolen!
And YES, lock your doors when you are out! DON'T leave the main doors propped open to your dorm. Do you leave the doors propped open at home? I would guess not! A campus is only so secure. Don't let just anyone walk into your "home" because your possessions may not be the only thing taken.
Don't allow a home invasion because it's took much hassle to take an extra 10 seconds to pull out your key or keycard to get into your dorm or because you don't want to look "unfriendly" by securing your dorm room door!</p>
<p>I'm buying a safe to keep my valuable stuff, like passports and jewelry. That should be enough. I don't think colleges provide them, you'll have to buy your own, but they are pretty reasonably priced.</p>
<p>
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they are pretty reasonably priced
[/quote]
Approximately how much are they?</p>
<p>The regular ones are around $100 or so. You can get super duper security ones with electronic keypads and special locks that are much more, the run of the mill ones range from like $79 to $149.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I guess it depends on the school. Here (Dartmouth), i leave my room unlocked with my laptop and jewelry and everything inside, and on nice days, the front door of the dorm is left propped open - its a very safe environment, and there's not a lot of theft.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>ditto, at W&M lots of rooms are unlocked with computers etc. However, the doors to our dorms [the buildings, not individual rooms] cannot be propped open. If they're left open for longer than a certain amount of time they set off an alarm. But anyone with a college ID can swipe into any dorm (except between 12 and 6).</p>
<p>I suggest bringing a hungry pittbull to guard your belongings.</p>
<p>Sigh. wish pets were allowed. Lol, college would be a mini zoo.</p>
<p>buy a mac10 and a glock 18
HAH</p>
<p>Honor Code</p>
<p>Be careful. It's not just about stuff being stolen... it's about personal safety.</p>
<p>A girl on my floor had left her room to go to the bathroom and, like most college students, didn't lock her door but just shut it behind her. When she came back to her her door was open and she walked in thinking her roommate had come back. It was not her roommate but some guy rummaging through her stuff. She was shocked and screamed... he grabbed her and pushed her into her desk(and made a ton of books fall onto her) and then he ran... down the stairs, out the door. He didn't take anything but she broke her wrist. The incident sent a wakeup call to everyone. I now lock my door ALL THE TIME. </p>
<p>We too need a key to get into the building but people let strangers in all the time. Crazy things happen and it's better to take precautions. </p>
<p>About stuff being stolen... insure your belongings and don't worry about it.</p>