Dorm Room Safe

[Aliceacc]

Here's my concern: anything small enough to be practical is small enough to walk off with.

 

[Sagginit]

I would vote heavy so it's not convenient for someone to get out of the dorm so they won't bother and move on to another item/room. My close friend had a sister with sticky fingers when she was in college and living at home so she got a safe for her bedroom at Walmart. It was about $50 and was quite heavy, but her sister who picked locks never managed to get in.

Also when I was in college most people that had stuff "stolen" had left it somewhere. I knew people who put laptops under chairs in lounges if they didn't want to take it somewhere, left laundry in the laundry room for days (yup I had a roommate who had ripped jeans and old tees stolen after leaving them there for days), and people had stuff stolen from rooms they didn't lock. Believe it or not college students start to think everyone is nice and trustworthy so make sure you have that talk about always locking the door, even to go to the bathroom down the hall. Most buildings have multiple RAs so if you get locked out you have 24/7 help. We had a few talks from campus security as people would do things like leave the window in the stairwell open on the first floor without a screen when they forgot their building fob.

I had a roommate who stole from me but it was things like clothes, snacks, pens etc. I never had a safe but important jewellery and documents stayed at home. I kept my debit card with me at all times and only carried minimal cash (with a dining plan you don't really need cash on campus).

 

[runwad]

Well, I found one on amazon that is thin, on wheels and slides under the bed. It has a tether so it can go around the bed somehow; I'm thinking thru the mattress slats if there are any?? It's 60 bucks. I'm going to talk to DD and see if she'd actually use it to put her computer in it. If not then I might just get a small one for her phone, debit card and any small money she may have.

I was thinking about getting a small tethered safe and then getting one of those Kensington Locks for her computer, but after reading some of the reviews I decided against it, because DD probably wouldn't use it. So now I"m still deciding between a big safe for her laptop or just a little personal one. Thanks for everyone's replies, it helps to read them.

 

[monorailmom]

Our twins never once used the safes we bought them when they started college back in 2012. We didn't bother buying one for our younger DD who is starting in a few weeks.

 

[clh2]

My DD started off college, not wanting either a laptop lock, or a safe.

Horrible roommate, who never locked the door, and had friends stopping by and walking into room.

DD requested both within 2or 3 days. She used them until DD switched to a single room midway through the first semester. I doubt she used them after that. It definitely gave DD piece of mind.

 

[pandamom]

Rhino seems to make a good one - its far over the OPs budget, but can also hold other stuff in addition to the stuff you need locked up.

DD uses a rhino armor trunk and it works great for moving day (we have the optional removable wheels)and for securely storing items during the school year.

 

[crisi]

DD uses a rhino armor trunk and it works great for moving day (we have the optional removable wheels)and for securely storing items during the school year.

Thanks. My daughter doesn't go off to college for a couple years yet, but I've been eyeing them. I suspect she'll tub most of her stuff - easier to get into than a locked trunk.

 

[crisi]

Make sure to advise your kids to use cloud storage for their files - Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox - something. If their laptop is lost or stolen, or their hard drive fries, they want to get their files quickly. (I'm still rebuilding a computer where the hard drive failed - its been two weeks - I don't work on it much though I have the files back, but 32 bit Windows that I need to fix)

 

[pjlla]

just curious-what do people tether these to? the dorm rooms at our local university only have minimal furniture so tethering something to the leg of a bed or desk would just entail lifting the item slightly to remove it.

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DD has a VERY small safe and we tether it to her bed springs and hide it under the bed. It is just big enough for some extra cash, her passport, and ?? ............P

 

[leebee]

Make sure to advise your kids to use cloud storage for their files - Microsoft One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox - something. If their laptop is lost or stolen, or their hard drive fries, they want to get their files quickly. (I'm still rebuilding a computer where the hard drive failed - its been two weeks - I don't work on it much though I have the files back, but 32 bit Windows that I need to fix)

Fire alarms set off in the middle of the night in the grad dorm- and there are the grad students, outside in their jammies at 3am, carrying their laptops and briefcases (for discs). Pretty funny to see! Nobody wanted to lose their data/writing for dissertations- Definitely use the cloud!!

DD never had a safe, always had roommates... and not always good roommates with reliable friends. Fortunately at her school, all dorm room doors have automatic locks, so when the door is opened and then closed, the lock is automatically activated. Passport and extra cash (never more than about $40) were hidden in a tampon box. Laptop was either with her, or in its case and hidden in a drawer. Phone was always with her. Yes, the laptop could have been found and taken, but I think her roommate would have stopped any friend who was systematically tossing DD drawers! No problems... except panties and sweaters missing from the laundry room. Reiterate to your kids: DON"T leave laundry in the washer or dryer- stay in the laundry room when you are doing laundry!

 

[aprilgail]

If you lock your door when you leave, why do you need to tether your laptop?
I mean, unless you don't trust your child's roommate...(and I do get that to some extent; our oldest's first roommate was a little d***. But we weren't really worried about theft...)
Our children have been instructed to have little money on them & keep doors LOCKED. DS never had an issue.
I suppose you are also at the mercy of a roommate being sure to lock the room as well...

It isn't the room mate I would be worried about- it is all the friends of the room mate coming in and out too! My friends daughter had her laptop stolen her first year that way! I bought my daughter this to use at the summer program at brown she just went to for the summer - https://www.amazon.com/ECR4Kids-Lock-Portable-Under-Bed-Personal/dp/B005JCZI5G

Worked great! It fit her MacBook, ipad and camera in there and tethered around the base of the bed.

 

[powellrj]

My ds had one he never used. He had lots of things stolen, but never anything you would keep in a safe. Shoes seem to be the big thing he had stolen and he had a bike taken too.

 

[SueInBoston]

I couldn't find any safe that would hold DD's flute, so I bought a tool box from Home Depot. Used a padlock and tethered it to under her bed.

 

[ICF]

I've seen a passport mentioned a couple of times here ( in terms of what's in a safe for a college student)....what purpose would there be to having a passport with you at college, unless you are studying abroad?

 

[crisi]

I've seen a passport mentioned a couple of times here ( in terms of what's in a safe for a college student)....what purpose would there be to having a passport with you at college, unless you are studying abroad?

Identification. Prove your nationality. Get a job (works to prove U.S. citizenship in place of a social security card). I use my passport as often as I use my driver's license.

 

[angierae]

If you lock your door when you leave, why do you need to tether your laptop?
I mean, unless you don't trust your child's roommate...(and I do get that to some extent; our oldest's first roommate was a little d***. But we weren't really worried about theft...)
Our children have been instructed to have little money on them & keep doors LOCKED. DS never had an issue.
I suppose you are also at the mercy of a roommate being sure to lock the room as well...

You can't control who your roommate's friends are.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

....... I seriously think if anyone tries to walk off with it, folks will notice. It is large enough to hold "valuables" except for her laptop and yet small enough that she can store it easily in her dorm room.

No one will notice this slipped inside a backpack. This is so small, it can easily be hidden.

 

[crisi]

No one will notice this slipped inside a backpack. This is so small, it can easily be hidden.

You can also drape a jacket over it. Another problem is caring and challenging. How is someone to know that it doesn't belong the person carrying it to challenge it? And even if they do know, they may choose to not get involved. They can't know if the person stealing the safe might be dangerous. Or they may simply not care enough. After all, you didn't care enough to tether it, why should they care enough to stop someone from stealing it.

 

[crisi]

Wow! I never would have thought of needing one back when I was in college. It's kinda sad and scary that's our world now.

I don't think the world is that different, but what kids take to college is. When I went to college in the dark ages, you maybe had an old portable TV. There might be one or two kids on the floor that had an Apple II computer (now you know how old I am). But for the most part, you didn't have much worth stealing.

It also depends on where you go to school. Some schools are more crime prone than others. A small dorm at a small private school where everyone knows everyone on the floor is a different environment than huge dorm at a big school and strangers are always walking through the hall to visit.

 

[js]

I work in a small private college with tuition over $40K and most kids can afford the things that get taken and can tell you theft happens and usually is not reported further than the administration. My dd just graduated a college in PA and although I originally got her a safe she told me after freshman year she never used it but she and her roommate always locked their door when they left. That is really the key. Lock your door anytime you leave and you should be okay.

I am packing up my ds who leaves next week and gave him the same safe but who knows if he will use or even lock his door as well as a stranger roommate. I really just hope he brushes his teeth and hair!