Cautious, Not Crazy: Staying Safe as a Student

By Kerryann White

September always feels like a month filled with fresh opportunities and new beginnings. It’s that time of the year when a brand-new batch of freshers arrive on campus, red QUB tote bags slung over their shoulders, carrying hopes and dreams so vivid you can almost reach out and grab them. Whilst it is such an exciting season, one that everyone should try their best to embrace and enjoy to the fullest, it’s also a time when a little message of caution can go such a long way. 

Know Your Contacts 

Without running the risk of sounding too obvious, it is crucial that you know who to turn to when serious situations arise. Your inbox is most likely filled with boring, admin-heavy information that you feel inclined to chuck straight in the bin, but many of these emails contain hidden lifelines (contact details, support services and resources) that are specifically designed in order to guide you through academic and personal struggles or challenges. Taking an hour out of your day to read or make a list of these details could mean the difference between feeling overwhelmingly lost or feeling secure in the support structures surrounding you. 

It is easy to believe that none of this will ever be necessary for you, and hopefully it won’t, but university life can sometimes have a way of throwing hurdles at you. So, if or when these moments arrive, having familiarised yourself with who to contact can remove some of the weight of an already difficult situation and build your confidence on handling challenges.

A Demure Night Out?

Many students argue that the nightlife is their favourite part of their university experience, allowing them to break free from the stress of constant class and upcoming deadlines. That is what a night out should be, a breath of fresh air and a chance to have fun, free from risk. In order for this to happen, the first steps would be to stick with people you trust, keep your phone charged, carry emergency cash and try to pre-plan your return home (and please, don’t be that friend that has a drink and suddenly decides that a solo 400m sprint is a fabulous idea). 

Unfortunately, these basic safety steps aren’t the only proactive measures that are necessary, and QUB has recently teamed up with the PSNI to prevent drink spiking in 33 of the popular bars and clubs in Belfast. A 2023 report has shown that 2.2% of adults in the UK reported having their drinks spiked in a 12-month period, equating to roughly 1.2million people. The ‘DrinkCheck’ initiative, that launched on Freshers’ Week, means that students can now ask bar staff to test their drink on-site if they feel the drink has been tampered with, providing a new-found confidence in student safety. 

On top of that, all venues that are involved in the above initiative have been provided with the better-known concept ‘Ask for Angela’, a subtle code-word that warns bar staff that a customer is feeling unsafe and in need of help, a measure that bears a lot of significance in protecting women who are disproportionately affected by harassment on a night out.

Safe Spaces and A Shared Responsibility 

For many of you, coming to university may be the first time living away from home and the new responsibilities that can become daunting very quickly. Your accommodation should be a zone of comfort and safety, so it is worth taking a few precautions. To put it simply, locking your doors and windows, looking behind your shoulder as you enter your building or house, and getting to know your flatmates can make a major difference. If you have anything bothering you, may that be a faulty lock, a broken window or someone making you feel threatened, report it to a landlord or the accommodation office. You have a right to feel secure and content in your own home!

Finally, protecting yourself at university is incredibly important, but protecting others should be high on your list too. Supporting those around you can manifest in several ways, maybe in the form of checking in on a flatmate, meeting a friend halfway when their struggling or stepping in to help someone you’ve met vaguely on a night out. Taking part in small acts of care can create a knock-on effect on creating an environment where everyone feels secure. If each student chose to do their piece in caring for others, this community can become much stronger, kinder, deeply connected and ultimately, safer. 

Sources:

Queen’s University Belfast. “Queen’s and PSNI Launch Initiative to Prevent Drink Spiking in Belfast.” Queen’s News, 25 September 2025. https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/2025/queens-psni-drink-check-initiative.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com.

Drinkaware. Drink Spiking Research Report 2024. 20 November 2024. https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/research/research-and-evaluation-reports/drink-spiking-report#:~:text=Prevalence%3A,any%20point%20in%20their%20lives.