As early as Friday, many students will be leaving the ISU campus en masse for destinations across the nation, if not the world.

Yes, spring break has descended upon Ames and thousands of students have survived the weather, spring fever and mid-terms to embrace this college right of passage.

Fun, sun and partying are on all the spring breakers’ agendas as they prepare for their vacations, but no matter how much fun and sun is on everyone’s itinerary, issues of travel safety – in and out of the country – should be considered.

The U.S. State Department has a list of travel safety tips posted on its Web site which lists a number of helpful guidelines to follow while traveling abroad or in the United States. The following is a condensed list from the Web site.

For the complete list, check out the Web site: travel.state.gov.

Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends in case they need to contact you in case of an emergency.

Always travel light, If you do, you can move more quickly and will be more likely to have a free hand. This will also limit your chances of getting red flagged during airport security checkpoints.

Carry the minimum amount of valuables necessary for your trip and plan on a place to conceal them. Passport, cash and credit cards are most secure in a hotel safe. When carrying them, conceal them in a variety of places rather than placing them all in one wallet or purse.

Don’t bring anything you aren’t prepared to lose; leave all jewelry, irreplaceable family objects and unnecessary credit cards at home.

Bring travelers checks and one or two major credit cards instead of cash.

Consider purchasing a phone card; it is a convenient way to keep in touch.

If you leave the United States, remember you are subject to the laws of the country where you will be staying. Before you go, learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs of the destinations you plan to visit.

Learn a few phrases in the local language so you can signal for help, the police or a doctor. At your hotel make a note of the emergency numbers you may need and the U.S. embassy or consulate.

To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep all medication in its original, labeled containers. Bring copies of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs.

Pack an extra set of passport photos along with a photocopy of your passport information page to make replacement of your passport easier in the event of loss or theft.

Once again, this is only a condensed list of safety concerns individuals should consider before embarking on his or her destination. Most of which are common sense, but in the thralls of the pursuit of springtime entertainment, some may be forgotten.

So as you tip those margaritas, dance the night away and enjoy your spring breaks, be aware of what is going on around you and take an active role in your own safety.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Charlie Weaver, Omar Tesdell