Going Back to College? Put Self-Defense on Your Back-to-Campus Checklist
Updated August 2026 · 8 min read
Every August the same list goes around. Twin XL sheets, a shower caddy, a fan, command strips, a mini fridge someone will fight over.
I grew up in martial arts. My dad, Grand Master Sergio, founded Victory Martial Arts, I started around age three, and I earned my third degree black belt in Taekwondo. So when I look at a back to campus checklist, there is one thing I always notice is missing, and it is not a product.
It is the plan. The habits. The stuff that takes an hour to talk about and then just lives in the back of your head for four years.
1. Walk like you know where you are going
Head up, phone down, steady pace. This is the single easiest habit to build and the one people skip, because we are all walking around reading a screen.
You do not need to look tough. Looking present is enough. Being visibly aware of your surroundings is a different signal than being buried in a text thread, and it is free.
2. Learn the campus before you need to know it
In the first week, actually learn the map. Not the pretty admissions map. The real one.
- Where the blue light phones or emergency stations are on your regular routes.
- Which buildings are open late and which lock at nine.
- How to reach campus safety, saved in your phone before you need it.
- Whether your school has a safety escort or late night shuttle, and how to request one. Most do, and almost nobody uses them.
Walk your usual route once during the day and once at night in the first week. It will feel completely different, and that is useful information.
3. Have a real buddy system, not a vague one
The buddy system does not mean "we will go together." It means specifics.
Who are you going with, when are you leaving, and who is the person you text when you are back? Pick one friend who is your default. Share your location with two people you actually trust. Agree on a check in that is a habit, not a big deal.
Also agree on a code word. One text that means "call me with an emergency right now, no questions." It sounds dramatic until the night it is not.
4. Boundaries are a skill, not a personality trait
This is the part martial arts taught me that has nothing to do with kicking.
Saying a clear no, out loud, to a real person, is something you get better at by doing it. Most of us are trained from childhood to be polite, to soften, to not make it weird. That instinct does not turn off in the moment when you need it.
So practice the plain version. "No thanks." "I am good." "I am going to head out." No explanation, no apology, no softening. You are allowed to be the person who leaves a situation early because it felt off. You never owe anyone an explanation for that.
5. Trust the feeling before you can explain it
Your gut usually notices something is wrong before your brain can put it into words. The mistake is waiting for proof.
You do not need a reason to leave. Leaving early and being wrong costs you nothing. That is the trade, and it is a good one.
6. Take an actual class, in person
Reading about self defense does approximately nothing. Doing it once with your hands, in a room, with someone correcting you, is a completely different thing.
Most campuses run free or low cost self defense workshops through campus safety, the rec center, or a student group. Take one in the first month, before the semester eats you. If you want something ongoing, a local martial arts school with an adult beginner program is a good place to land, and it doubles as the workout you were going to skip anyway.
Looking for a place to actually train?
Adult beginner classes are more common than people think, and nobody is watching you. Everybody in the room started at white belt.
Try 2 weeks at Victory Martial Arts for $29 (uniform included) →
Look for a school with an adult beginner program. I grew up at Victory Martial Arts, which my dad founded, so that is my honest bias.
7. The five things worth knowing, in plain terms
If you only remember five ideas, make it these. They are concepts, not techniques, and the techniques should be learned in person from a qualified instructor.
Distance is your best tool
Space gives you time and options. Most of self defense is not letting the distance close in the first place.
Your voice is a tool
Loud, short, clear. "Back up." "No." Volume brings attention, and attention is what you want.
Move toward people and light
Into the open store, the lit lobby, the group of people. Not down the quiet shortcut.
Getting away is the whole goal
Not winning. Not standing your ground. The only objective is being somewhere else, safely.
Practice beats knowledge
Anything you have not physically rehearsed will not be available to you when you are scared. That is why the class matters.
8. Set up your phone once, in five minutes
- Campus safety saved as a contact, not something you look up mid panic.
- Emergency contacts and medical info set up on your lock screen.
- Location sharing turned on with two people you trust.
- Learn your phone's emergency SOS shortcut and actually practice the button combination.
- Keep it charged. A dead phone at one in the morning is a genuine safety issue, which is why a battery pack lives in my bag permanently.
For the parents dropping them off
If you are the one packing the car this month, here is what I would say.
Have this conversation once, calmly, and then stop. Not a lecture on move-in day when everyone is emotional and sweating. One real talk on a normal afternoon in the weeks before.
Give them the specifics, not the fear. The code word. The check in habit. The permission to leave anything, at any time, for any reason, with no follow up questions from you. And make sure they know that if something goes wrong, calling you is safe, even if they were somewhere they were not supposed to be. That last one is the whole thing.
Shop this post
My actual dorm and campus picks, including the battery pack, door stop alarm, and the bag I would send anyone off with, are in my storefront.
See my Amazon picks → As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.Frequently asked questions
Is a campus self defense workshop enough?
It is a great start and much better than nothing. A one time workshop gives you vocabulary and a little muscle memory. Ongoing training is what makes it stick, because repetition is the whole point.
What should I carry?
Rules about what you can carry vary by campus and by state, so check your school's policy first. Honestly, the things I would prioritize are a charged phone, a battery pack, and a habit of telling someone where you are.
My kid says I am being paranoid. What do I say?
Frame it the way you would frame knowing where the fire exits are. It is not a prediction, it is a plan. That framing usually lands a lot better than a warning.
Is it too late to start training as an adult?
Not at all. Adult beginner classes are full of people who never did anything like this before, and adults tend to learn the practical concepts fast because they understand why they matter.
Janet
Orlando mom, third degree black belt, and the girl who grew up at her dad's martial arts school. I write about raising strong kids at Planet Janet TV. Come say hi on Instagram.
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