Hi ChunkyMonkey555

What did you decide to do? Did you make it to the school? I see that the post was from over a month ago, so I'm wondering if you've already made a decision, or if you're still considering it?

And, I wanted to share my experiences. I went to a school that is also in the downtown area of a large city, and it's an open campus (no gates/fences or anything). So, we did have crime, and when I went for orientation, I was explicitly warned not to walk around by myself late at night (I'm female). Sometimes people would wander onto campus and attack women in the sorority houses, for example (yikes).

First, the campus was really safe during the day when classes were going on. It was always crowded with students and employees (professors, administrative staff). There was really nothing scary at all during the day, and I felt totally safe going to/from classes, to/from the library, walking around, etc. Even alone. It was literally not a problem.

The things I did to stay safe:
- Never walk alone after dark. Walk with friends or take a campus shuttle. My school had a shuttle that ran after the regular bus had shut down. You could call them for a ride after hours, and they actually went off-campus as well (to a certain distance). You should see whether your school offers this. For example, if I was in the computer lab late at night, I could call and they'd come get me, and drive me back to my dorm.

- Make friends. You mentioned being bad at this. So was I. But, I joined a few different groups, and found people that were friendly and had similar interests. College is the BEST place for this, honestly (it's so much harder when you're out of school) because you have a high likelihood of finding people with similar interests/backgrounds to you. Either others studying the same subject, or people with similar interests if you join a club. Some of your friends will have cars... also helpful for getting rides late at night. (I had a bad reaction to something on campus when I went to the track in the evening with a friend - my throat started to swell closed! Luckily, a friend of mine in the same dorm had a car and was able to quickly and safely get me to the infirmary!)

- Pepper spray is a good idea. You could also see if your school has any self-defense classes for women, or martial arts classes. I did martial arts, and while I was not *great* at it (soooo not my thing!) it was a ton of fun and very empowering, plus I made more friends there!

- Pay attention to your surroundings, don't do things that will leave you unable to think clearly/protect yourself (binge drinking/drugs), be careful to not take drinks from strangers, etc. Avoid circumstances that make you feel nervous (i.e. listen to your gut) and be smart.

Obviously, this isn't 100% foolproof. But, I'd just really HATE to see your fears get in the way of getting an education, since a good education will help you for the rest of your life - it will help you grow as a person, create a good life for yourself, and open up doors that you can't even see right now.

If you really, truly feel that the risk is too high - I would honor that, but challenge you to think of other ways you can get an education. Online degrees, as Reticentrenegade mentioned, are one way. Looking at other schools that may be in safer locations is another.

Good luck!