Risk of people stealing?

This may come across rude or what-not but I feel like I have to ask, just to get a clear picture on what to bring (if I get accepted to an university that is). How probable is it for someone to get robbed of things in Scotland/at Scottish universities? Of course I realise this differs from uni to uni but nevertheless, always good to know since I'm from Sweden and I want to know what might be safe to bring without risk of loosing it (example: camera, computer etc)

Sorry for this extremely blonde question :wink:

Reply 1

Gazule

There are loads of university guides on TSR! As for stealing I imagine it is as bad as anywhere else. Keep your door locked.

Reply 2

SmilerNuts

Was it anywhere in particular you were thinking of? Because there's no one answer that will cover everywhere in Scotland.

Everyone has different experiences but as long as you take the usual precautions you should be fine to bring your valuables over :smile:

Just get insurance if you're worried.

Reply 3

L i b

In terms of crime, I don't think most British universities are by any means bad. However that said, every university will have the odd tale or two of outsiders wandering in and stealing the odd thing.

About the worst the average undergraduate will have to contend with is having milk in communal fridges pinched, or other such minor stuff: usually by people who are simply inconsiderately rather than criminally inclined, or somehow think it's a hilarious idea after ten pints of beer on a Saturday night.

If I was to be pedantic, I'd point out that stealing does not equal robbery: robbery is stealing with the use or threat of force. I shouldn't imagine that will be at all an issue anything but the most miniscule minority of students.

Reply 4

lovenone

Thank you SmilerNuts. Well, basically what I was thinking about was, to be honest, one of the universities that I had applied to (St Andrews, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow) but also get an "overall" glance at what one might expect. Like in Sweden, in Stockholm and areas around Stockholm, there are more crimes committed there than where I live. Though around Stockholm there are more crimes such as gang violence whilst here it's more the case of people stealing from you. It's all different where you are and I was just wondering what was the thing to watch out for (though having getting my things taken being priority #1 :wink:

) :P

L i b: I sort of assumed that milk-snitching and such things applied to all universities :wink:

I don't think that differs much from country to country. And sorry about my laziness. I do know that there's a difference but that was the word that first popped-up in my head and I was far too lazy to edit. Sorry if it was annoying :wink:

I know how frustrating simple mistakes can be sometimes :wink:

Reply 5

nearlyheadlessian

Students are targets for theft. The simplest way to avoid it is to keep your door locked, close the window if you go out and wave expensive stuff around. That in combination with reasonable insurance should keep you on the safe and narrow.

Reply 6

oxymoronic

I currently live in one of your neighbouring countries (I'm on exchange in Helsinki this academic year) and I'll just say that in comparision to Scandanavia, there is more crime in the UK. This does not mean that you will certainly be a victim of it should you come to university here. It will mean you have to be more vigilant than you might be at home, thats all.

For example, my impression of Finland is that there is zero crime and I live in student accommodation on a lovely residential street in Helsinki city centre, yet my neighbours (who are not students and are 'real adults') will regularly go out leaving their windows open, and never lock their bikes. I don't think I have actually seen anyone other than the international students using a lock for their bike, whereas if you left your bike without a lock at home it would probably not be there when you got back. I hardly ever see the police around in Helsinki at night, even at the weekends, whereas in cities at home this is normal especially around the main clubbing/pubs areas. We noticed the same thing when we were in Stockholm.

Take your camera, laptop etc with you when you move - you're not really going to be able to survive life as a student without them for one, and two, providing you're not stupid and leave your laptop out in the library when you go to a class, or leave your camera on a table in a pub when you're at the bar, you should be fine. I've never had anything stolen, in Edinburgh or elsewhere in the UK.

Reply 7

terpineol

Much much higher in glasgow :wink:

Actually it really depends what you mean, I have never had any problems, but I don't leave bags around the place such that they could easily be knicked.

Never heard of anyone having anything stolen here though.

Reply 8

lovenone

oxymoronic: Oh awesomeness! Thank you so much! That was really helpful and really awesome that you could compare it to Scandinavia as well since that's what I know :P It was really what I wanted to know. And hehe, if I think there's loads of police officers in Stockholm (which you found almost lacking of police) since I am from a smaller town where it can take days before you see a police car :wink:

Merci for answering my question terpineol! :biggrin:

*notes: higher in Glasgow*

Also, just to point out to those reading this thread: this doesn't really scare me off, it's just so I can get a fair estimate of what to expect :wink:

Reply 9

Dawkins

I've lived in Glasgow as a student for about 2 years and i've never had problems personally with anything going missing. Although there have been a couple of incidents involving burglary. The thing to realise is that in any halls you are in it is likely that the ground floor rooms/flats are going to be the ones targeted for obvious reasons. One particular incident involved some guy leaving his window open whilst sitting in the kitchen and came back to find all of his valuables had gone. However, with no signs of forced entry it was clear that the fact he left the window open must have been a lure for an opportunistic theft.

I don't think you should allow what is said on here to dictate what you take to uni but instead you should just take the simple precautions that mean you won't become prey to an opportunistic thief. Obviously everyone takes a risk owning and leaving valuable items in their flat but you just have to weigh up the advantages of having that item with you and the very small chance that it may be stolen.

I lived in a second floor flat in university accomodation last year and felt no problem with leaving valuables in my room (with the window closed). However, this year I live in a city centre flat that bares suspicious signs of having been broken into before. The only thing myself and my flatmates can do is be extra vigilant and just make sure the doors are closed behind us.

Reply 10

lovenone

Dawkins

I don't think you should allow what is said on here to dictate what you take to uni but instead you should just take the simple precautions that mean you won't become prey to an opportunistic thief.

It's the exact point of this thread :smile:

I had - before posting this - already decided which unis I want to go to the most ect so don't worry, I won't let this colour me in any way - I just want to know how the climate is :smile:

Reply 11

Dawkins

Essentially your question would be hard to answer without rummaging for facts and figures on local crime rates but I suppose all I can offer you is the fact that no-one I know who lives in Glasgow has been broken into, or mugged etc, so statistically it's a rare occurence.

Don't get me wrong though it does happen but like I was trying to say is crime rates don't matter as much to individuals as long as you minimize the possibility of being a victim (locking doors etc)

Reply 12

BiscuitFuelled

Common sense is key - at all unis in the UK. Lock up your stuff, don't flaunt your belongings in public, don't walk about alone at night.

I won't say I barely ever hear of bad things happening to people in Glasgow, as that's a lie - I will say the majority are not in areas frequented by students.

Reply 13

Acaila

terpineol

Much much higher in glasgow :wink:

You're from wiltshire, you go to St Andrews so your reasoning for saying that is what?

Reply 14

terpineol

Acaila

You're from wiltshire, you go to St Andrews so your reasoning for saying that is what?

Last years flatmate, and one of this years were brought up there, one still lives there, supposedly its a bad bad place, full of bad bad thieving pikeys.

I'm sure its not as bad as they made out (somewhere between Jo'burg and a freshly hurricane hit new orleans) hence the inclusion of the winking smiley.

We also have the odd public health lecture which doesn't paint it well, again with the last cheese and wine on the epidemiology of gang culture there.

In short by most accounds, though I really hope its better than this in real life (as it must be really), it sounds rather like a zoo.

In my experience of the place if you stay in the newly developed and very central bits, its ok. It gets scary if you leave the motorway anywhere else.