When walking home alone at night (or even in broad daylight) there are certain acts that make us feel better.

Looking over your shoulder, pretending to be on the phone, holding your keys in-between your knuckles, walking where there are lights, carrying pepper spray, and taking self-defense classes are all examples of this. Yet even with all the preparation in the world, when someone is attacked, there are some things that go to the wind.

Living in a suburb in Kansas, I was not exposed to much imminent danger such as that which comes with living in a downtown city. So when I moved to Milwaukee, I was thrown into a new element that I was not familiar with. Walking back to the dorm alone was never supposed to be an option, especially at night. However, the fact of the matter is that never walking alone just isn’t possible. While it is always best to walk in groups, we all should have a back-up plan if that can’t be done at the time.

When browsing on Pinterest before I left for college, I found a post that discussed apps that every college student needs. This is where I stumbled upon SafeTrek, a personal safety app that gives users the ability to contact the police if they feel unsafe without doing anything but lifting their finger.

Here is an excerpt from SafeTrek’s website:

The way SafeTrek works is simple - If you are feeling unsafe, simply launch the app and hold your thumb down on the safe button. When you are safe, release your thumb and type in your 4 digit pin number. If the situation turns for the worse and you need help, simply release your thumb and do not type in your pin - your local police will be notified of your location, name, and emergency.

If I ever have to walk anywhere alone or if I feel unsafe, I immediately open my SafeTrek app. I am talking from the stingy broke college student perspective as someone who never pays for apps, but I can confidently say that SafeTrek’s $2.99 per month fee is absolutely worth it. Having the app gives me peace of mind when alerts come through my email of attacks that happen on campus, related to someone who attends my university or not.

I would recommend this app to anyone, no matter where you live. We’d all like to think that something so horrible could never happen to us, but the truth is that we just don’t know. At the end of the day, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Here is the link to their website, the app is available on the App Store and Google Play.