Over the past few weeks, A Snapchat post has been shared around, regarding a young woman who has been harassed on Morrison’s hill in Bangor. Due to this, this article hopes to highlight some pointers about living alone and staying safe as a university student. Whilst it may seem obvious, locking your door is one of the most important things you can do.
When it’s night time and you’re alone, or if you’re upstairs in your home during the day, there is no harm in locking your door. This will keep you safe while living alone; it might make you feel more at ease with living alone. In addition to this, something else you could do is speaking to your landlord about the security measures that are set in place in your home. I know that the risk is small of someone breaking in, but it doesn’t hurt to be safe!
Moreover, it could also be great to learn some self-defence just in case! This could make you feel better when you’re out and about because you’ll be prepared if something happens. It will also make you feel more protected as you will be able to defend yourself.
In terms of safety, it is important to keep your alarms up to date as well, just to ensure everything is working correctly, this will also make you feel at ease in your own home. Testing smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms regularly is extremely important.
Something else to consider is closing the windows and curtains at night time. This is really important in terms of safety as it reduces the chance of theft or break-in. It also doesn’t give an indication to people if you’re home or not, therefore they are unlikely to break in. Moreover, an open window at night time can grant easy access into the home.
Also, walking alone more during the day and less at night can be a good way to stay safe. Keeping your phone fully charged and messaging a friend your whereabouts and destination if you’re going for a walk at night are also great ideas.
I know this may seem overwhelming as you may be in fear of living alone, but these are just extra precautions you can take to keep safe. It does not mean that it is unsafe to live alone; these tips are just to help make you feel at ease while in the safety of your own home. It is important to keep yourself safe therefore taking a few extra steps may be a good idea!
