Quick Questions about dorms at MU?

[YoungMUFan4]

Do I need to worry about anything getting stolen?  Do they have like a locking drawer or anything like that?  Should i get a lock for my laptop?

[muwarrior87]

yes, get a laptop lock. we never like to think that something could be stolen but I personally had two text books stolen my freshman year when i was in the room next to mine hanging out w/ some friends. I luckily got them back later but definitely have security in mind.

[Markusquette]

one of my friends had some shoes stolen but his room was always open pretty much.  I mean, if you leave your door open but you're around the floor or your neighbors are by you should be alright.  It's never a good idea to leave your door open if you leave the building though.

[bma725]

Do I need to worry about anything getting stolen?  Do they have like a locking drawer or anything like that?  Should i get a lock for my laptop?

You do need to worry.  I had a watch stolen when I was in McCormick, another guy on my floor had a really expensive pair of sunglasses stolen, one guy's guitar got stolen, another had shoes stolen...DVDs and CDs would disappear all the time.  It's just a sad reality.  If you want to keep your stuff secure, lock the room door, even if you are just going next door.

FWIW,  I think now most dorms have new furniture that has a locking drawer in the desk for valuables, but it's pretty small. 

[YoungMUFan4]

Thanks guys.  I decided to buy a notebook lock and will make sure to lock the door whenever I leave the room.  I just hope my roomate does the same.

[chapman]

You'll notice the first couple of weeks some people will lock their door when they walk down to the bathroom, then they get more lax.  Just never get to the point where you're one of the dumbasses that leaves your door wide open (not just unlocked, but actually open) when you leave the room.  Have a laptop lock and a small padlock to put anything valuable in a drawer (expensive books, computer stuff, video games, dvds, scientific calculator, etc.).  A small price to pay compared to having something stolen.

[reinko]

When I was in school I could claim my stuff under parents home insurance policy.  Might want to look into that too.

[reinko]

I forgot to add, the homeowners policy also covers your stuff in case of a fire, or more likely a flood from sprinklers. I remember that at least happened at least once or twice when I was in school.

[Skatastrophy]

You'll notice the first couple of weeks some people will lock their door when they walk down to the bathroom, then they get more lax.  Just never get to the point where you're one of the dumbasses that leaves your door wide open (not just unlocked, but actually open) when you leave the room.  Have a laptop lock and a small padlock to put anything valuable in a drawer (expensive books, computer stuff, video games, dvds, scientific calculator, etc.).  A small price to pay compared to having something stolen.

I dunno.  It depends on who you live with.  My floors in McCormick and Schroeder were awesome.  Everyone left their doors open unless they were leaving the floor.  The open atmosphere and tight friendships made it unlikely that a random would walk in and steal stuff without someone noticing and stopping them.

When you're living with 900 other people, though, there's bound to be a couple of bad apples.  Nobody had laptops when I went to school, so there wasn't anything that was both tiny (easily steal-able) and of high value that someone could walk off with.

[Hards Alumni]

Never locked my room unless my roomate and I were both gone, had the door open the rest of the time unless we were both gone.

never had anything stolen.

[jaybilaswho?]

Never locked my room unless my roomate and I were both gone, had the door open the rest of the time unless we were both gone.

never had anything stolen.

Same for me.

Developing friendships with your neighbors is very important in regards to security. Your neighbors will more than likely become some of your best friends. Since no one wants to see their friends ripped off, they will keep a look out for you while you are gone.

[Hards Alumni]

Same for me.

Developing friendships with your neighbors is very important in regards to security. Your neighbors will more than likely become some of your best friends. Since no one wants to see their friends ripped off, they will keep a look out for you while you are gone.

exactly right.  My entire hall in OD my freshman year became pretty good friends, and we would always go out and watch out for each other.  Yeah, we messed with each other a lot (chucking basketballs at people's doors during finals week comes to mind).  Our RA actually closed our wing off from the rest of OD during one of the last weeks of the semester and let us have a 'party' in the wing.   Also, we won the hall olympics...

So, you could say that Freshmen year was pretty cool... and a lot of the reason was the friendships that I made.

[muwarrior87]

it's not always people on your floor doing the stealing tho ppl. when i got stuff stolen, my whole floor would go from room to room with doors open, and on a freshman floor thats what you want to build friendships. It's the other people in the building that are not on your floor that you have to be wary of in that situation.

[jaybilaswho?]

I didnt have any problems with any of my stuff being stolen and the only time we locked the doors was when we were both gone.

most likely, the only thing you are going to have 'stolen' from you are your DVD's. This was my only regret from college, letting my friends borrow my DVD's and lazily hold them long enough until they forgot whose DVD it actually was. I suggest that you put your name on every DVD you take to school with you so that everytime they watch the DVD they see your name on it. I can't tell you how much I want my 'Debbie Does Dallas' DVD back. No i am just kidding, but DVD's are easily swipt, so do your best to safeguard them. 

[reinko]

In addition to DVDs getting lent out, make sure you throw your name on video games too. 

Back in my day, N64 ruled the video game wars in Schroeder.  If you couldn't hold your own in Bond, Mario Kart, or NBA Hang Time, you had no friends.   

[TallTitan34]

On our floor freshman year no one really had any locks or anything but everyone knew everyone and it was a good bunch.  Still doesn't mean someone from the outside floors can take something though.

What I do recommend though is putting a password on your computer so floormates like MarqPTM can't change your desktop background to something questionable.

[reinko]

What I do recommend though is putting a password on your computer so floormates like MarqPTM can't change your desktop background to something questionable.

Or worse someone putting something questionable on your background, then locking your computer.

PTM, I can't imagine what you could put so frightening as the background on TT's lapper, possibly this?

[gjreda]

Or worse someone putting something questionable on your background, then locking your computer.

PTM, I can't imagine what you could put so frightening as the background on TT's lapper, possibly this?

That is pretty horrible.

[TallTitan34]

Haha the stuff MarqPTM came up with probably can't be posted here.  I know robmufan got it a few times too.  One time when he had some lady friends over hahahaha.

EDIT:  I thought of one instance of robbery when MUScoop user mumk917 stole my Christmas lights after using a McCormick key to break into Carpenter.  So if you're living in Carpenter, McComick people, or friends of McCormick people can get in by saying they are going to Res Life on the 2nd floor.

[chapman]

I've had the questionable desktop change done, so I'll second putting a password on.

I'll also second that while iPods and external hard drives might be the first thing you lock up, so also think about your DVDs and video games and accessories (I don't play any, but the fact that they cost $60 and controllers are something like $30 or more says a lot).  Doing the favor of lending stuff to people and them not making an effort to get it back is one of my biggest pet peeves and it happens far too often, so have an idea of where your stuff goes.

To keep track of things and keep it all in one place I bought one of the large CD albums for my DVDs and kept it in the locked drawer.  You might want to do that, but between never watching most of them and not needing the album after getting a more spacious apartment it might have been a better idea to just be more selective in what you bring.

[muwarrior87]

worse than the questionable desktop change...meatspin.com...God my floor had a sick twisted love of putting that on other ppl's computers.

[gjreda]

worse than the questionable desktop change...meatspin.com...God my floor had a sick twisted love of putting that on other ppl's computers.

There are ones a whole lot worse than meatspin.  You got lucky, muwarrior87.

[jaybilaswho?]

That is pretty horrible.

no that is the greatest background in the history of backgrounds.

[IAmMarquette]

worse than the questionable desktop change...meatspin.com...God my floor had a sick twisted love of putting that on other ppl's computers.

Junior year I left my apartment and 2 of my roommates opened up so many instances of meatspin that it shut down my laptop. There were times when you could walk up and down the hallway at our place and hear "You spin me right round, baby, right round..." coming from seven different rooms.

For those of you who are lucky enough to not have experienced meatspin, do yourself a favor and don't pursue it, especially not at work, at home, in the library, or anywhere else other people might be.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I forgot to add, the homeowners policy also covers your stuff in case of a fire, or more likely a flood from sprinklers. I remember that at least happened at least once or twice when I was in school.

parents' homeowners insurance does cover you while you are at school, usually up to 10% of their personal property coverage.  Bad thing is that if you have a claim (stolen laptop, etc) it affects their prices.  Some people get their kids a renters policy while they are at school, so if there is a claim, it doesn't shoot their homeowners prices up.

you are also covered for some liability too, should someone get hurt etc.