As a college student, I am slightly concerned about all of the violence in classrooms lately. I would like to start a discussion about some preparations that could be taken to help survive an incident similar to the one in Virginia Tech.

I will start the discussion by mentioning that in the backpack I carry to class every day, I have at least 100 feet of paracord. During the shooting in Virginia Tech, there were several students that jumped from the fourth story window and injured themselves fairly severely, but probably saved their lives in the process at the cost of only a broken leg or two. If I were ever to find myself in a situation where the door to my classroom was barricaded temporarily, I would strongly consider tying the paracord to a large, sturdy object such as a large desk, and abseiling down to (hopefully) safety.

What do other people have to say about this idea, and more generally, other classroom violence preparations?

Although the shootings at VTech are horrible. I would not jump to a conclusion that you are not safe in school or anywhwere else in general.
This was a rare incident that when in the news seems to be much more widespread than it really is. In reality the odds of getting hit by lightning are not much different.
Always be aware of what is happening around you and you will be safe 99.99% of the time. You can't really prepare for a 1 in a million event like Monday's horror.
I always say you can't live life worrying about sharks and lightning.

I agree 100% with the advice to stay aware of your surroundings. Always make sure you know where all the nearest exits are, and how to get to them. A cell phone would be an asset. Leatherman is now making a knifeless "Fuse" that could be of interest to a student. I am not saying it would be the difference between life or death, just that it might be helpful.

Well, since you can't legally carry a concealed weapon, how bout this?



link

I'm sure a knifeless multitool would be great in an airport, but on college campuses (at least on the three I frequent), there is nothing wrong with having knives. At my school specifically, the only knives that are outlawed are ones considered to be "dangerous weapons" in my state. That means no autos, no double-edged knives, no folding knives that can be draw into a locked position (a waved knife could fall into this catagory), and of course several other restrictions, but none that apply to any knives I would ever carry. However, there is no restriction on "normal" folding knives, multitools, or technically even fixed blades of any length.

BRILLIANT! I'm sure the proffessor that held the door shut would have loved to have one of those doorstops.

-Blast

I don't know if its state policy, or just in my area, but the schools here forbid any "weapon" including small pocket knives. I am glad to see its not like this everywhere.

Agreed -- school shootings are vary rare. You should plan for more likely events; weather related, power out, etc. Carrying a flashlight and a poncho will serve you better than packing rapelling gear

TRO

Might want some gloves or duct tape. Rappelling with paracord might be hard on the hands.

Your options are pretty limited. Barricade, use an improvised weapon as the shooter comes through the door, or as a last resort, go "Flight 93" on the guy.

As other posters have mentioned, this scenario is extremely rare (though there will undoubtedly be copycat incidents like after Columbine) so don't get fixated. You are still more likely to encounter a power outage or weather related survival scenario.

As a fellow student, I would be much more worried about a fire and the panic / mob mentality that will accompany it than a shooting. As others have mentioned above, situational awareness and the ability to improvise would probably be the best things to bring with you to class. Of course a few EDC items such as a multi tool bandanna, paracoord wrist band, etc, would greatly increase your ability to improvise.