A US study has indicated that the first year on campus could be the deadliest for new college students. In the USA Today study of 620 college student deaths since January 2000, freshmen accounted for more than a third of all deaths, although they made up only 24% of the student population. The study sought to identify where and how college students died over a 6‐year period, and whether the deaths could have been prevented. The researchers found that greater numbers of freshmen die from illness—40% of all undergraduate deaths from natural causes were freshmen. The first‐year students also accounted for 40% of all undergraduate suicides, and half of all undergraduate deaths from falls from windows, rooftops, and balconies. A surprising 47% of all undergraduates who died on campus property were freshmen, according to the report. Although most universities offer safety classes for incoming freshmen, some students find trouble before they even see the classroom. Further details of the study can be found at http://tinyurl.com/f8ykc.
Contributed by Ian Scott