How to prevent thefts in the classroom at high school or college?

Although not very common, we all know of a case where someone has had something stolen from them in class. These situations often occur at a young age within the same classroom, where discussions like “this is mine” or “so-and-so took my…” always arise.

On the other hand, both in high school and college, students are old enough to be aware that stealing is wrong, and within a classroom, everyone gets along more or less, making it unlikely for theft to occur among classmates. However, the problem lies in the fact that both high schools and universities are large institutions with hundreds of students divided into many classes. This reality means that most students are strangers to each other, eliminating the sense of camaraderie: when someone steals, they do it to “another person,” not to a classmate. Furthermore, with such a large number of students, any theft gets lost in anonymity. Do you think that if someone steals your phone in a school with 600 students, the school will be able to identify the culprit?

Therefore, thefts in high schools and universities occur with some frequency. But don’t worry, by applying a few simple preventive behaviors, you can minimize the risk of experiencing any type of theft or robbery in the classrooms. Let’s see how to address each type of issue:

 

1. Preventing theft of your phone and laptop

It is very common nowadays to bring a phone and, in some cases, a laptop to high school or college. Moreover, at this age, we frequently use these devices, so it’s likely we have more advanced models of certain value, and we must take precautions to prevent theft. The most important thing is to be responsible and use common sense:

• Never leave your phone or laptop unattended.
• When you’re not using your electronic devices, keep them securely in your backpack. And never leave your backpack unattended; always keep it under control.
• If you want to have your phone easily accessible, always make sure to keep it safely in an inner pocket.
• Install a GPS tracking app on your phone and laptop. This way, if someone steals them, you can determine their location and provide it to the educational institution. This will help identify the responsible person, who will not only face expulsion for violating the school’s rules but will also be required to return your belongings.

 

2. Preventing theft of your bicycle or electric scooter

If you commute to high school or college on an electric scooter, avoid using the latest model, as it attracts a lot of attention. Opt for a simple and affordable model that is foldable and store it in the lockers provided by your educational institution.

If you use a bicycle, park it in designated areas that are well-lit and highly trafficked. This way, it is unlikely that someone attempting to steal it will go unnoticed. Additionally, always lock your bicycle, even if you’re leaving it for a moment. Nowadays, there are inexpensive locks that are easy to attach and detach. For example, you can find an easily deployable lock at an affordable price by following this link. This will be sufficient to deter any thief.

 

3. Preventing theft of your jackets and other clothing accessories

If the classrooms in your school are relatively small, and you have the same classmates in all your classes, you won’t have many problems with clothing theft, as it is unlikely to occur. However, in large high schools where students from different classes come together for elective courses, or in large lecture halls at universities with over a hundred students, it is important to implement some preventive practices, as many of your classmates will be strangers, and you need to be more cautious:

• Do not hang your jacket on communal hangers; always hang it on your seat, leave it on the seat next to you, or keep it with your backpack.
• If you have clothing items or accessories such as scarves, gloves, hats, etc., keep them securely in your backpack.
• On a rainy day, be careful when leaving your umbrella in public areas or common zones of the educational institution. It is recommended to let it dry as close to your desk as possible and be attentive not to forget it.

 

4. Preventing theft of your class notes

Although not very common, if you are a student with a certain academic reputation, someone might try to steal your notes because theirs are inadequate. Another reason could be that someone is playing a prank on you and wants to cause you trouble. In any case, to prevent this situation, follow these steps:

• Try to be organized and responsible with your notes. Keep them on your desk when you need them and store them in your backpack when you don’t.
• Never leave your notes unattended, even if you’re just going to the bathroom, unless a friend stays at the neighboring desk.
• Once you’re at high school or college, teachers usually don’t perform any kind of control over your notes, so you can organize them however you prefer. The most convenient approach is to take notes on separate sheets of paper and keep a well-organized collection of them at home. This way, if you lose your notes or they are stolen, you would have only lost the work of that particular day.
• A good way to have a backup of your notes is by taking pictures of them with your phone. This way, in case of theft, you can print those photos and quickly obtain a copy of your notes. To store all the photos (which, due to their resolution, will occupy a significant amount of memory on your phone), you can buy a simple USB drive like the one you can see here and securely store them at home using your computer.

 

5. Preventing theft of your academic materials

In many specialized subjects, you may need to bring special materials of certain value to high school or college, such as musical instruments, watercolors, or various projects.

If you also have classes for other subjects and cannot keep those materials in your backpack, it would be a good idea to store them in the lockers provided by your high school or college.

Additionally, you need to be responsible and careful with these materials. Never leave them unattended, and handle them with care to prevent damage.

 

Final advice: Common sense and personal responsibility are key to preventing thefts and robberies

As we have seen in this article, any problematic situation related to thefts or robberies in high schools and universities can be easily prevented by adopting basic precautionary measures and taking personal responsibility.

If you have reached this point, it means you found this article helpful in learning how to prevent thefts in your educational institution’s classroom. If so, you will certainly be interested in learning how to prevent thefts in student residences. You can find all this information in the following article on our website: “14 Keys to prevent robberies in student residences”.