Emergency Kit Essentials For College Students

Whether you are sending your child off to college, or whether you are a college student, you know that this can be one of the most interesting times of a life, as well as one of the most difficult. Being away from family, friends, and home makes college students much more susceptible to problems that might come up in an emergency. If you are following several directions, and you have a good emergency kit that is suitable for college living, then whether you are a college student or whether you are the parent of one, you will know that everything has been accounted for and everything will be taken care of. nnEach college student should have an emergency kit that they can keep in their dorm room, or wherever they live. This kit should be something that they can easily keep wherever they are, and that they can take with them if there is an emergency. Chances are good that in a major emergency a college student wouldn't want to stay wherever they live. So the kit should be mobile. nnThere are several things that should be included. First of all, you should have first aid gear in your emergency kit. This should include a first aide kit, as well as rubber gloves, masks to wear over your face, and other first aid items. If the college student is diabetic or has any other medical needs, these medicines or items should be put into the emergency kit, incase the student doesn't have time to gather them on his or her own. nnNext, the emergency kit should have a good pair or walking shoes and socks. This is because you never know what your college student will be wearing on their feet, and getting them into good shoes and socks is a very important aspect. You should also include a hat and gloves, incase the emergency happens at a cold time of year. An emergency blanket or hand or foot warmers are also great things to put into the emergency kit. nnNext, for the emergency kit, you want to think about survival for a few days. Packages of crackers, chocolate bars, dried fruit or nuts, or other things that will not spoil should be included in your emergency kit. Also, you should have water, and a sugary beverage to give your college kid a little bit of energy or sugar if they need it. Remember that there are protein bars and other small items that you can pack in your emergency kit that will be very useful. nnThe next thing you have to think about is survival itself. Your college student will need a flashlight and a good battery powered radio with a change of batteries as well. You should also include a package of cash, which should be small bills and coins, so that your college student can use snack or soda machines or pay telephones. A long distance calling card should also be included. Remember that your college student might not be able to rely on their cell phone, so calling cards and a list of phone numbers might be a good idea. nnAlso, in your college student's emergency kit, they need to have an idea of what to do next. Don't rely on them remembering what you have told them. Write down your own emergency plan for them so that they will know where you are heading and what they should do. Write down instances in which they should come home, and instances in which they should meet you at a prearranged site. Always make sure that your college student knows where they should meet you. You might not have time to call them before you leave our own home, and the phones might not work anyway. So, you should have a set place to meet, or set relatives or friends that you can both get in touch with who will act as mediators and let you know where everyone else is. nnYour college student should have their emergency kit in a durable back pack that they can keep in their dorm or apartment, which will be easy to take with them if they need to. Remember that you should also think about ways that you can personalize the kit for your college student. Are there certain keys that they will need? Do you want them to have a can of mace or other personal protection? Are there any items that your son or daughter will need that haven't been included in any of the other emergency kit lists? Remember that the point of this emergency kit is to help your college student survive, and to make sure that they are able to find you, safe and sound. Think about those things and make sure that the kit you have supplied them with is complete and well stocked.