By: Huimin (Mia) Zhong – Global Epidemiology
Congratulations second-year students. You’ve survived a two years’ masters program and you may never have to take another final again! For the first year students, you’ve also survived a hard semester with the dreaded final exams! Summer is close and there is rarely a time in your life when you will feel more accomplished, relieved or free than after you receive your dream diploma. Let your mind wander to your next adventure, wherever that may be.
When you make your travel plan for this summer, the most important thing to keep in mind is safety. Here are 10 top safety tips for your wonderful journey and hope they’ll be helpful for you!
1. Get the Appropriate Vaccines: Making sure that you know the immunizations you need and that you are immunized before your trip.
2. Make Electronic Copies of Your Documents: Create an electronic backup of your immunization record, itinerary, medical insurance card, passport, plane tickets, travel insurance, and visas before you leave.
3. Don’t Carry Everything Together: Separate the monetary and identifying items you must carry on you and carry them in different spots on your person.
4. Don’t Carry Things in Your Back Pocket: Do not keep anything in your back pocket, including your wallet, a small purse, your hotel room keys… anything!
5. Look Back When Leaving: Look back at where you were sitting as you’re going just to make sure you didn’t forget your purse, shopping bags, or anything else of importance.
6. Leave the “Bling” at Home: Keep it simple and appropriate for the place you are visiting, and hide your camera in a case when you aren’t using it.
7. Don’t Talk to Strangers: Don’t talk to strangers who don’t look trustworthy, do not accept food or drink from them, and do not go somewhere with them unless they are your licensed tour guide and you’re on your booked tour.
8. Don’t Solicit Panhandlers
9. Don’t Try to Be a Hero: Things could happen on the trip. Your cash, credit cards, identification, and traveler’s checks are not worth injury or death. Give the items up quickly, and once you’re out of danger, proceed to the nearest U.S. Consulate or appropriate authority to report the incident.
10. Be Properly Insured: Make sure that you, your fellow travelers, and everything you are taking on the trip are properly insured before leaving.
Hope you all have a great summer trip, get full energy from it and move on to your next life adventures!!
Rollins Student Ambassadors 