Derbyshire Police offers ten top tips for new students for Freshers Fortnight

As new students head into Freshers’ Fortnight, Derbyshire Police officials have shared a few tips to help new students understand how to stay safe, protect their property, and feel at home.

A statement described starting university as a potentially exciting experience, but said that it can also feel challenging and hard to navigate, adding that it was natural to take a little time to settle in and adjust to student life.

The advice offered is to encourage new students to get to know their new area, offering new surroundings and new people, starting with halls of residents, finding places such as reception, laundry rooms and lecture theatres as well as places to eat and relax before moving on to wider surroundings.

There is also advice on establishing how to get into and back to halls after a night out.

Top Ten tips to help settle in were listed as:

• Mark any high value items with your details using a UV pen, and keep them out of sight of the windows.
• Install security software on your laptop.
• Consider installing a tracking app on your phone/tablet to allows you to find its location and delete data remotely.
• Be suspicious of calls, texts and emails that ask for personal information, account details or PIN numbers.
• Don’t attach your name or address to your room keys.
• Don’t leave notes on the door saying “I’m out – back in half an hour” or similar. They’re an open invitation to thieves.
• Only leave windows open when you are in the room, shut them whenever you leave, even if it is only to go to the bathroom or kitchen.
• Only let people you know into your flat using the intercom. If someone wants to see a flatmate, you should get the flatmate to speak to the person at the door because it is up to them if they want to let them in.
• If you have a bike with you, use a D-lock as opposed to a cable lock. Although cable locks are easier to carry around, with the right tools, thieves can easily break or undo these and take your bike.
• If you’re heading out, tell someone where you're going, and when they can expect you back. Maybe send a text to let them know you got there.

Students can get more tips in burglary prevention in an online guide here, whilst advice to help keep safe in Derbyshire can be found here.