How to Stay Safe During a Campus Crisis

Colleges have thorough procedures for emergency crises. But are you prepared?

What are some ways you personally can prepare in case there's a crisis on campus?

Subscribe to alert services

The use of technology on campuses has increased exponentially over the past decade, and you should absolutely subscribe to these simple, free alerts. The minute you move into your dorm, check out your school's website and find what kind of emergency contact services they offer. Some common methods found on campuses include:

  • Text messaging
  • E-mail alerts
  • Live feed pages typically found on college websites

Be aware of campus procedures

A loud, wailing alarm means nothing if you’re completely unaware of campus procedures. Take the time to learn campus emergency procedures. Your resident assistant (RA) is a great resource when it comes to a range of things like:

  • Evacuation routes
  • Fire procedures
  • Dorm and campus safety
  • Emergency contacts (security, police, medical staff, etc.)

Student housing organizes welcome meetings during and around orientation for a reason—pay attention to specific details regarding emergency situations. Be sure to educate yourself if you live off campus and don’t have access to meetings or residence e-mail lists.

Take every warning seriously

You’ve heard the story of “the boy who cried wolf.” There may be many false alarms on your campus—I still get constant text alerts from my college for a “suspicious package” that’s always dismissed—but always be weary. At the very least, be aware of what’s happening on campus, and though it might not involve a drastic change of plans on your behalf, just being attentive is the first step to keeping yourself safe in a crisis. Our generation is already constantly attached to our smartphones, so use it to your advantage with regards to campus safety. 

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About Catherine Seraphin

Catherine Seraphin

Catherine Seraphin is a Multimedia Project Manager at Harvard University and a former Assistant Editor/Online Specialist for CollegeXpress. Catherine graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism, a minor in English, and course concentrations in Business. She was previously an in-depth arts reporter for Penn State’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, and interned as a features reporter at a paper based in Southern Massachusetts. Catherine previously had a full-year internship with a well-known higher education PR firm. Her favorite experiences during college include her two years as a resident assistant and her involvement in THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. There, she was on the PR committee that helped THON become the third-most tweeted topic worldwide. When she isn’t working, you can find Catherine shopping, reading, or running.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Maya Ingraham

Maya Ingraham

October 2021 Mini Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has given me more confidence in my college process. With easy-to-access resources and guidance such as the CX Weekly Roundup, I have been able to find the best colleges for me. Most importantly, there’s a surplus of scholarship opportunities for every student to support their education.

Brooke Maggio

Brooke Maggio

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously in my college search in narrowing down the schools I’m interested in. Using the college search tool, I was able to narrow down my choices to schools that matched what I was looking for. I also used CollegeXpress for their scholarship search, which helped me find scholarships that I meet the requirements of.

Rayan Hamdan

Rayan Hamdan

High School Student

I joined CollegeXpress just a few months ago. I had been struggling with severe anxiety, causing me to not be able to tour schools and make sure a college would be perfect for me. I came across CollegeXpress one day when I was searching for colleges online, and it completely changed the game. I was easily able to choose colleges that would suit me, and I also entered a few giveaways! Thank you so much!

Michael

Michael

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress showed me that Western New England University was a great match for me both with curriculum and location. CollegeXpress is an excellent resource both future and current college students.

Lexie Knutson

Lexie Knutson

High School Class of 2021

This whole website has helped me overcome the attitude I had before. I was scared to even approach the thought of college because it was so much. I knew it wasn’t just a few easy steps, and I panicked mostly, instead of actually trying. Without realizing it, CollegeXpress did exactly what I usually do when I panic, which is take it one step at a time. With college I forget that because it’s more than just a small to-do list, but this website was really helpful and overall amazing. So thank you!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY

Manhattanville College

Purchase, NY