Play it safe
Do you remember saying, “when I grow up I’m going to be a …?” Well, that time is now. You are now building the foundation of your life. But first, you need to be adult. And safety (yes, boring safety) is one of the chapters you need to prioritise.
Upon reaching Rhodes University, you should be familiar with a few basic safety precautions. The truth is you can never be too safe and most of us no longer have family or friends constantly watching our back. Additional awareness and safety measures are particularly valuable because most of us are settling down in a new town, a new province and a new environment.
Small-town living can seem mellow and inviting, and this is often the reason why so many of us forget that we still need to be mindful of our surroundings. The university provides us with the groundwork of safety guidelines. But it takes experience and some really tough conditions to make us realise what we need to be cautious of, no matter how minor or major.
Most of us are aware of the infamous remotejamming method that criminals use to either steal your car or the goods inside. I didn’t think it could happen in Grahamstown; but it does. Fortunately, remote-jamming can be avoided if you are attentive. Check your car door after locking it.
You’re probably thinking, “yes, of course I check it,” but no… check it again. Don’t walk away from your car and then lock it, because it takes half a second to be remote-jammed. Avoid leaving any valuables in full view - and this includes books. It is possible for someone to bust your car window just to steal a bag of textbooks!
Don’t forget your safety once you are indoors either. Whether you are in res or digs, don’t leave anything near your windows where a wandering hand could snatch it. Burglar bars haven’t stopped people before, so it’s better to stay a few steps ahead of would-be criminals.
It is generally safe to walk around town, but you should always make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Try to keep your valuables close to you instead of in your back pocket or backpack, and be careful when using headphones. It is best not to walk alone late at night, but if you must, at least let someone know where you have gone.
The car guards and street children usually mean no harm. But there are a handful of people who push the boundaries and might occasionally make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If approached by someone, make sure you have your valuables close to your body.
Always check your back, some opportunists work in pairs with one person distracting you from the front and the swiping your phone (note: this doesn’t apply to the car guards in green t-shirts who work on High Street and are often in pairs - they are just doing their job).
Campus Protection Unit (CPU) manager Towers Naidu urges students to make use of the blue routes on campus, especially at night. Many students avoid the blue routes because they prefer shortcuts.
“But the blue routes are useful because they are well patrolled and well lit,” says Naidu. “The shortest way from town to res might not always be your safest route, as we are not able to cover all the dark spots found on campus.” While CPU are there to keep you safe, you too have responsibilities. The CPU office can be found on Rhodes Avenue, adjacent to Hobson House.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need to get to a police station, there is one on Beaufort Street opposite the Total garage and another on Sani Road.
Other than physical safety, emotional safety is also vital for your positive progress at university. As children, our emotional safety may have been guarded by adults, but now we have to shelter ourselves.
This form of safety requires you to be attentive in your friendships and relationships. It can differ in relationships with res mates, classmates, partners and even the people you consider mere acquaintances.
University means meeting several hundred people, so keeping yourself free from emotional destruction should be a priority. Feeling emotionally unsafe can be defined as many things; for example, a knot of nerves in your stomach, fear or anger.
These are negative feelings that we all have sometimes , but we need to train ourselves to identify when they becomes overwhelming. Try your best to keep people in your life who make you feel positive about yourself. In a world where many adolescents and young adults struggle to be themselves, we need a good support system.
Many people use university as a way to become who they have always wanted to be, away from restraint. Thus, being around those who uplift you is protecting yourself from emotional harm and almost a necessity to your growth.
The jump from high school to university is one like no other, especially when you are in a new town with new people. There will be days when you feel helpless, which is why you need to remember that safety is key. Because if we have our safety sorted, it is one less thing to worry about.
“Adulting” is certainly not easy and we learn how to do it from experience, so don’t let this get you down.
For more information on safety, refer to your 2017 Student Support Guide that you would have received with your orientation pack, or access it online via www.ru.ac.za/safety/ .