<p>Hi, D leaves in three weeks for her freshman year at a small LAC. How do kids keep any valuable safe? A small safe or utility box does not seem good as anyone can walk off with it and then just break the lock. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>First, minimize taking valuables to school. If she makes a habit of not leaving money, jewelry, etc. in plain sight and most importantly locks her room door when she leaves, there will be many easier targets for thieves.</p>
<p>Finally, consider renter’s insurance.</p>
<p>Don’t take anything valuable with you…that is the key. So no fancy expensive jewelry, pocketbooks, extra electronics, or anything like that.</p>
<p>For things your kid needs…like their laptop, phone. Etc. NEVER leave your room without locking your door…NEVER. Don’t leave valuables sitting anywhere where you aren’t (like in the library or dining hall, or study lounge). If you get up to leave…take your stuff with you. And that includes trips to the coffee shop or bathroom. </p>
<p>Our kids had their names etched on the bottom of computer cases. </p>
<p>Some small safes can be tethered to something else with a cable - assuming the dorm room has something it can be tethered to.</p>
<p>Students also have to wary of identity theft - apparently there have been cases of student aid identity theft. They should have their electronics password protected at least so that no one can easily go thru it if they get it.
And aside from recognizing the usual phishing emails, students should learn to destroy personal documents they don’t need since they probably won’t have easy access to a shredder.</p>
<p>They make small strongboxes that can be locked to something immobile. They make laptop locks. Many dorms have a lockable drawer on the desk where you can put a padlock, or even a lockable closet door. </p>
<p>We got all of the above for my kids. They never used any of them. :)</p>
<p>Nothing works if they’re not used. Sigh. We’ve been lucky. </p>
<p>I never got a small safe because i thought someone could just walk off with it.</p>
<p>I agree the biggest thing is to not bring valuables to school. My D didn’t bring her good jewelry and she keeps the jewelry she does bring in a box (unlocked) in a dresser drawer. There are laptop locks which most kids get, and other than in a locked dorm room, a laptop should not be left unattended (ask a friend in the library to watch it while you take a break etc.). It is important to lock the dorm room when nobody is there. </p>
<p>We also set up bank accounts for both kids at a bank which has an ATM on campus so they can take out cash easily – this way they don’t keep a big stash of money lying around. And as for the phone…well I think that might have been surgically implanted into my D’s hand so it is always with her! </p>
<p>That said, most students are honorable. Just be smart and don’t leave valuables lying around unlocked and unwatched to tempt people. </p>
<p>Get college dorm insurance. Don’t bring anything valuable that you don’t need. As stated above - never leave anything unattended even for a run to the bathroom. Always lock your dorm room when you leave it. Don’t carry on your person anything you don’t need. Leave your important papers in your room when you don’t need them (driver’s license, passport, credit cards, etc.) </p>
<p>My daughter keeps on her person on campus only her ID card and an emergency $20 - this gets her into her room, dining hall, and lets her charge stuff to her school account - she leaves in her dorm her credit/debit cards, driver’s license, transit pass, etc. and only take those when she goes off campus. Three of her friends have had their wallets/backpacks stolen on campus and then had to go through the headache of replacing all the lost stuff (which is harder to do remotely when you are in another state).</p>
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<p>One benefit of growing up in a crime ridden urban neighborhood in this respect is greater awareness of one’s security arrangements/habits like the above. </p>
<p>It still boggles my mind to see how many students in Boston and NYC area colleges, public libraries, and even coffee shops leave their laptops/electronics/possessions unattended and out in the open. </p>
<p>Me and my brother use footlockers and bolted lock boxes to keep our valuables safe. It’s super easy to lock our valuables up at night or when we know our door is going to be unlocked for an extended period of time. </p>
<p>We keep our wallets and keys on us throughout the day. It takes too long to go back to our room to get money, keys, or the like. Some will say it can be easily stolen, but it’s as easy as keeping your eyes on your bag when you take it places.</p>
<p>Just need to be aware. Whatever system you use, make sure it works for your needs. </p>
<p>It still boggles my mind to see how many students in Boston and NYC area colleges, public libraries, and even coffee shops leave their laptops/electronics/possessions unattended and out in the open.</p>
<p>Perhaps they attended Reed.
At Ds school, people left their laptops open in the library, and instead of being relieved that someone picked up their laptop and took it to security for safekeeping, they became angry, because it was closed & their work was lost.
She then became too casual about her stuff when she came back to the city, and had her ipod stolen when she left it in a pocket of a coat in a coffee shop, when she got up to get some napkins.
Although I admit, I wouldn’t expect anyone to get into my pocket either.</p>
<p>Yes, minimizing the valuables they bring with them and keeping things on their person and/or out of sight when they are not around. Both of my kids DID have their phones taken. D left hers on the floor of a theater and it was never returned to security or anywhere else. S left his on a bench in the college gym and was shocked and surprised it was stolen when he was in the bathroom! Otherwise, they keep things out of sight and/or locked up. </p>
<p>As was said, some folks DO buy renters insurance or similar. We never did and after the one time each kid had something stolen, they were more careful with their possessions and no repeat incidents. (Fortunately for them, we had spare junk phones they could use until we were able to get new ones under our cell phone plan.)</p>
<p>For their own personal safety, it’s best if they can convince their roommate(s) to lock the door when the room is left so that folks won’t wander into their room and possibly look through their contents or surprise them.</p>
<p>The one advantage to college dorm insurance is that it covers other damage to laptops and cell phones (like water) - so it might be worth buying for that reason</p>
<p>@Niquii77 what kind of foot locker do you recommend and where’s a good place to shop for them?</p>
<p>And think about the room, because a foot locker won’t fit under a regular bed</p>
<p>Lockable 2 Drawer filing cabinet that you stash in the closet, out of view.
A determined thief will get what they want.
A lockable filing cabinet will be a place to lock up valuables quickly and keep them out of sight.
Most dorm theft is the result of an easy opportunity to steal, door left open, sketchy people invited into your room when you are not there and they steal your stuff that they see on or in your desk and closet.
Even textbooks get stolen if unattended, they are expensive so beware.</p>
<p>We just got a footlocker that felt sturdy. I’m unsure the best brands. I’m also unsure of what brand we got. (It’s currently in storage.) Ours is on wheels and is fairly large. I would check Walmart, Target, BB&B, and any other store that would have footlockers. Compare sizes and functionality. </p>
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LOL This happened to my friend. She went to tutoring and someone IN the tutoring group stole her book. </p>
<p>How sad for textbooks to be stolen. I dont get stealing anything but can at least understand the motive in stealing electronics or money but a textbook?</p>
<p>A big heavy footlocker with lock is one solution. My one son’s dorm room had a built in unit with a lock. </p>
<p>If your student is typical, loss due to carelessness is more the issue than out and out theft. Though, yes, it can happen, even if the student is careful, especially if the roommate is lackadaisical about keeping room locked when stepping out, the usual thefts occur because the owner of the item is not being careful. There really isn;t much one can do, if there is a determined thief that decides to make a person a victim. One just tries to make it harder for such a thief so that they go to easier prey.</p>
<p>One girl who lived on our hall freshman year, (in the Dark Ages, but these problems are as old as time) was very, very careful about locking her door, and keeping track of her things; much better than any of us in the hall. But she left cash in her desk drawer that anyone could catch a glimpse of whenever she opened that drawer. The money disappeared at some time during the year, and no idea who took it. That carelessness of letting that be seen was what led to that. I tell my kids that the simple act of keeping things of value out of sight reduces ones chances great in terms of being a theft victim. Zip those back packs . You just make it easy when they are lying there open. Put valuable things in the bottom, not just at the top of the pack. </p>
<p>Yes, textbooks are expensive. I always tell my kids to write name or something on the pages side of the book in marker. Might reduce their value, but it also reduces their theft value. My son lost his very pricey,fat heavy Art History book one term and found it simply because he saw with those letters written on the side opposite the spine of the book. Hard to hide that. A thief seeing that might think twice. And instant recognition if you come across the book which my son did. </p>
<p>I bought S1 a cable computer lock and a small safe box. Four years later the computer lock was unopened and I broke into the safe because he lost the key. I just had to make sure it was empty; it was 
They never locked the door to their room either.</p>
<p>My biggest concern when D leaves next year is her Adderall. Planning to buy a small safety box, She is aware of the potential risks and I think she will use it. I’m still concerned it’s pretty easy to walk off with it.</p>
<p>She doesnt need to tell anyone she uses it.
She may also want to switch to Vvyanse, which is metabolised differently.</p>