Chris, you beat me to it with almost exactly the same advice. I'm at college in IL so there's no CCW for anyone. I do store a gun (Ruger .22 I bought this fall) in my dorm room, in a locked case, unloaded, and hidden away. I THINK if I'm ever caught with it this way they'll be lenient, but I don't know. Sense is not the admin's strong point. I don't carry a gun. I carry at least one knife (fixed blade) at all times, plus flashlight after dark and cell phone at all times. I have trained somewhat to use the knife as well as hand 2 hand.
Personally, I decided that the risk of being attacked is still less than the chance of being caught. I live alone because I'm an RA, but my girlfriend would know if I carried. If you have a roommate, you will have ZERO chance of hiding this from them, and if you try they will overreact when they do find out since odds are they'll have some fear of guns anyway.
OTOH, I can afford this point of view. My campus is overwhelmingly female and I am a 6'2" 300lb male of somewhat fierce appearance, so I figure I'm a last-resort target.
Also, since my school has a rule against concealed weapons, I carry my fixed blade openly in my right hand in the sheath, which if the BG is smart enough should be a deterrent as well.
Things to think about:
1. CAN you possibly keep the gun a secret? If not, the worst-case scenarios won't matter.
2. If not, does your school allow you to carry pepper spray or knives? They may not, you gotta check! Also, you can't choose these options without training in their use, although a knife is IMHO easier to use and harder to disarm than a handgun.
3. At my school, you can call the central office and get a security guard to escort you on campus after dark until 11:00. It's not perfect (they're unarmed as well) but it's better than being alone and unarmed in the dark. Check into this option at your school.
Bottom line is, I can give you ideas but it's all up to you. Good luck.
AAAACK! I forgot situational awareness! Bad Pooh! Bad!
You must be aware of where you are, who else is there, what they're doing, and alert for danger at all times. There is NO perfectly safe time (one member here was attacked in daylight at a car wash.) If your friends make fun of you for being paranoid and seeing goblins in every shadow, you're doing it right.
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Don
"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
[This message has been edited by Gwinnydapooh (edited December 10, 1999).]