I won’t lie. I sobbed for at least half an hour as my husband and I escorted our 18-year-old daughter to her university as she began her freshman year. We followed along behind her on that three-hour journey, and my mind was inevitably overwhelmed by all the “what ifs?”
It was comforting to know that she wasn’t exactly a babe wandering into the wilderness. She had a slew of practical skills, a lot of common sense, and a well-packed emergency kit in the trunk of her car.
Now, as a new college season approaches, it’s essential for parents to send off their kids with more than a hug and a debit card. Between extreme weather events, campus emergencies, injuries, and maybe even a natural disaster, our kids need to be prepped with knowledge and some select gear and supplies.
Basic Emergency Prep Knowledge
Despite growing up in a household that taught self-reliance and common sense prepping, our daughter was caught off guard by the great Texas Freeze, Winter Storm Uri. And it wasn’t just her. The university wasn’t prepared, either. To be fair, Uri caught millions of us by surprise with its record-breaking freezing temperatures and snowfall that lasted for several days.Alone in her dorm apartment, the snow was initially exciting, but within 48 hours, she realized she could be in trouble. Pipes began freezing and breaking in her apartment complex, and with no warning, water was turned off everywhere. She knew to fill her bathtub with water and run dripping water through her faucets, but she was on her own once the water was off.
At one point, she got a text message from the residential advisor (RA) that bottled water was available. By the time she got to the RA’s office, she was handed a single bottle! Her meager pantry contained a few canned foods, oatmeal, and not much else. She was nowhere near starving, but this was a wake-up call that perhaps several days’ worth of food storage was a good idea!
Your college student can be better prepared by, first, thinking about possible, realistic scenarios that might occur. I call them “everyday emergencies.”
Health Emergencies
A sudden illness or injury can catch a young person by surprise when they have to deal with it on their own. They should have basic first aid knowledge and supplies and know how to contact their campus medical center and health insurance company. If they take any prescription medications, an extra week or two of those will help in case of a supply chain shortage.
Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather
Tornado warnings were common during our daughter’s four years away at school. Depending on location, students should know how to prepare for a hurricane, flooding, wildfires, or severe storm and follow instructions from their school.Car Accidents
Besides knowing how to contact the insurance company, students need to know what to document, when to call the police, and what to do if there’s an injury.Power Outages
These are common, and with emergency light sources in their dorms, vehicles, and backpacks, students have basic prep ready to go. Charged battery packs, such as those sold by Jackery and Goal Zero, are a must to keep electronics and computers charged.Personal Safety Risks
On their own, for perhaps the first time, students need to know how to be safe when out in public, especially at night. Situational awareness should be learned and practiced everywhere. An account with Uber or Lyft provides a safe way to leave an unsafe situation.Common Sense Preparedness for the College Dorm
Building on the importance of preparedness knowledge, it’s smart to have a few practical supplies on hand, as our daughter discovered during Winter Storm Uri.A case of bottled water comes in handy if their housing’s water supply is shut off, and an inexpensive water filter such as a LifeStraw or Sawyer Mini Water Filter is essential in case of a boil notice.
A supply of handy, no-cook foods is essential and inexpensive. Those foods might include canned meals such as ravioli and chili, energy bars, energy drink mixes, nut butters, protein powder, nuts, dried fruit, and tuna or chicken salad packets. If the power is out, these foods are especially valuable.
Power outages happen hundreds of thousands of times across the country; your student should be prepared for them. A light source, a charged battery pack or two, and cash in small bills in case ATMs are down will help.
Something that’s easy to overlook is simply having the right clothing. When our daughter had to leave her dorm and trudge to the university’s convenience store, she had waterproof boots, fleece-lined tights, gloves, and a heavy winter coat. Sometimes, clothing alone helps mitigate the effects of an emergency.
The Portable Emergency Kit
Our daughter had an emergency backpack that she packed herself. It spent four years with her in the back of her car. Ready at any time, it held a first aid kit, a headlamp, hand sanitizer, a LifeStraw, and versatile items such as a roll of duct tape, wet wipes, a multitool, and work gloves.This kit should contain items that might be needed when your student can’t reach a safe location quickly or is stranded on the side of the road. It should also include survival supplies for different types of weather and seasons.
Cold weather supplies: Pack hand and foot warmers, a plastic rain poncho, wool socks and mittens or gloves, a wool cap, and an immersion heater to melt snow or heat water for a cup of instant coffee or soup mix.
Hot weather supplies: A small, battery-powered fan can help maintain a safe body temperature. Include sunscreen and insect repellent packets, a cooling towel, and sunglasses.
Spring Break Safety
Spring Break is a highly anticipated event for millions of college students, and it’s the perfect time to prioritize safety and smart decision-making. Parents can advise their kids to practice situational awareness, protect personal information, and create a distress code within their group.Students should also carry essential items in their Spring Break survival kit, including a water bottle with a filter, a flashlight, a bandana, sunscreen, a whistle, a small solar charger, a book, travel-sized sanitation products, and more. Encouraging the use of the buddy system and driving safely to Spring Break destinations can also improve safety during this exciting time.
My son and daughter also have apps on their phones for Lyft and Uber for emergency transportation. The iPhone Wallet app securely contains debit card information so they can access those funds if their cards are ever stolen.
College is a time of independence with a lot of new experiences, but students must be equipped with the knowledge and tools to handle emergencies and make safe choices.
