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In her first weeks in a new city, your daughter knows the fewest people and the fewest routes. That is when a little planning does the most good. Here is what to check, agree, save and say.
What should you check before you choose her hostel or PG?
Visit once in daylight and once after dark if you can. Check:
Who controls the gate, whether there is an entry register, and what happens if she returns after closing time.
A working lock on her door, secure windows, and lights in corridors, stairs and the lane to the main road.
The warden's or owner's name and number, and the rules or rent agreement in writing, including what the deposit covers.
Who else can enter rooms, and how that is recorded.
The route to college, travelled at the time her last class ends.
The nearest hospital and police station.
What two current residents say when the owner is not nearby.
For college hostels, ask how ragging is handled. Under India's national anti-ragging system, set up following Supreme Court orders, each student and their parents or guardians confirm an undertaking through the anti-ragging portal. The same portal lists a toll-free helpline, 1800-180-5522, that runs 24x7.
How do you make a safety plan with your daughter, not for her?
A plan she helped write is a plan she will use. Agree on five things:
A check-in rhythm. One fixed call time a day for the first month, then she sets the pace. Location sharing is her choice.
A code word. One text that means: call me now with a reason to leave.
Late travel. She shares cab or auto details with a friend or with you.
The emergency route. India's emergency number is 112, and a panic call can also be raised by pressing the power button on a smartphone, long-pressing 5 or 9 on a phone, or using the 112 India app, according to the Ladakh Police page on the Emergency Response Support System. The page says the app's SHOUT feature lets women and children alert nearby volunteers. Install the app together before she leaves.
Two local adults she has met at least once, such as a relative or family friend in the same city.
Which numbers should she save before she leaves?
Save these on both phones and on a card in her wallet:
112 for emergency help (Emergency Response Support System).
181, the Women Helpline, which gives 24-hour help to women affected by violence in private or public spaces, as described by Haryana's Women and Child Development department.
1930 for reporting cybercrime, especially financial fraud, alongside the portal at cybercrime.gov.in (National Cybercrime Reporting Portal).
1800-180-5522 for ragging (anti-ragging portal).
14416 or 1800-891-4416 for Tele MANAS, the free, 24x7 national mental-health helpline, which offers services in around 20 languages (IIT Kanpur counselling service).
Her warden, a roommate, the college counselling office, the two local adults, and you.
Missing home is normal. A review in the Journal of American College Health defines homesickness as “the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home” (Thurber and Walton, 2012). The authors note that intense homesickness can worsen existing mood and anxiety disorders and sometimes lead students to withdraw from university. If low mood, poor sleep or skipped meals carry on, encourage her to see the campus counsellor or call Tele MANAS.
How should you set up her money?
An account in her own name, with a branch or ATM near college, and UPI only on her phone.
A monthly transfer on a fixed date, plus a separate emergency amount.
SMS alerts on, and daily UPI and card limits set in the bank's app.
One rule: never share an OTP, PIN or UPI PIN, even with callers claiming to be the bank or police.
A fraud drill: block the card in the app, call the bank, then call 1930.
Speed matters. Under RBI directions that apply from 1 January 2027, a customer is entitled to zero liability for an unauthorised transaction caused by a third-party breach (neither the bank's nor the customer's fault) reported to the bank within five calendar days. Teach her to report the same day anyway.
What should you say before she leaves?
Keep it short and warm:
“I'll call at nine every night this month. After that, you decide. If you text our code word, I'll ring with a reason for you to leave, no questions asked. If something goes wrong with money, call the bank first and me second. You will never be in trouble for telling me.”
If she is anxious about keeping up with a new syllabus, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what she already knows and build a plan for the session, so a hard week starts with a clear next step.
