Student Insurance
At this time of year, thousands of people are heading off to become Freshers at British Universities. There are a thousand and one things to think about for anyone starting at University. The prospect of living on their own for a prolonged period, having to make a whole group of new friends, getting used to a different city, a different part of the country, or even a different country altogether are all daunting prospects.
A recent study suggested that students, not just Freshers, all students, take an average of £1,400 worth of possessions with them. This may be musical instruments, computers, clothing, MP3 and music players, speakers, you name it some student, somewhere, will have taken it with him to University. That makes students a key target for theft.
At one high-profile British University recently, no fewer than 20 rooms were burgled in a week. The culprits were caught and swiftly sentenced, but the guilty individuals, upon finding out that the police were onto them, only increased their rate of theft. Many older buildings at Universities are not all that safe, and there is always the risk of someone holding a door open to a stranger who claims they are passing through to visit a friend.
So, one of the most important things for parents to think about is making sure that their offspring have correct insurance cover. In some cases the parents’ buildings and contents Insurance policy will cover some of their children’s goods. Most Universities have some sort of connection a major or specialist insurer, so if your own insurance doesn’t provide adequate cover, it is often possible to get a good value deal from the resident insurance company.
Of course, many students only live in University accommodation for their first year and spend their other years at University in private accommodation. These houses are, if anything, likely to be less secure than University accommodation, and they are usually found in ‘studenty’ areas and again likely to be targeted by thieves. Getting Home Insurance for these houses can be difficult, because no one wants to pay for the entire houses insurance, or have their premium affected by the particularly expensive guitar owned by one of your housemates. Again, though, it is possible to get very good deals, many companies offer specific packages designed for students, that will effectively insure only your possessions and the contents of only your room.
Theft is a very real danger for students, and nothing could be more disruptive to the first few weeks away from home in an entirely new place than having your laptop stolen. Make sure that you take a few moments to look around and get a good insurance policy, and it will take a weight of your mind. Legal and General are one company who are offering good home insurance deals at the moment and might be the ideal place to begin your search.