Oh no, you’ve done it again.

Yesterday was Friday. You went to go visit your friend last night. You went over there, had a few drinks — hopefully while socially distancing. You don’t remember a whole lot. You check your bank account, and you find out you made a few trips. It looks like you took a trip to Walgreen’s and spent $20 at Burrito King. Now you are standing at the door of your apartment, and you cannot find your keys. You’ve lost your key, so you have no choice but to rely on your roommates to be the ones to let you in.

Losing your keys sucks. It happens to the best of us, especially those of us who have trouble staying organized. I know I lose the key to my place all the time, including just this past week. If you’re lucky enough, you will eventually find your keys in the most random spot: usually in your pants thrown somewhere in your room. Or, you’ll end up like me and find your keys in the most obvious place. I could not find my keys all week. And where were they? Sitting in my purse the entire time, and I never even bothered to check. The other possibility is you never find your key again and it is lying somewhere on Green Street.

Haven’t lost your key yet and don’t think you ever will? Don’t be too cocky. You too, could be a victim of losing your key. Nobody is safe. That is why it is essential to take precautionary steps and to follow these tips to keeping your key secured.

A lanyard

This is a pretty obvious and probably the most popular way: keep your key on your lanyard. Sure, some people say lanyards kind of look lame, especially when you wear it on your neck, but just keep it in your pocket. You can keep track of any other keys you may have. Lanyards are available at the Illini Union Bookstore and virtually every Illinois shop.

A necklace

This is a clever way to make sure you never lose your key — and a fashionable one. You can purchase a chain and put your key on it. Or, if you have a necklace already, you can just add the key to it, kind of like a charm.

A hair tie

Do you have a hair tie sitting around? Using a hair tie or any type of elastic band is a great way to keep track of your key. If you have an extra hair tie, take it and cut it. Loop the cut hair tie through your key and tie both the ends together by doing a simple knot. Now, you can wear your key around your wrist. This is also great for girls to have in case you are ever walking alone. Lately there has been a spike of crime cases on campus — using your key is a commonly known way to defend yourself in case you ever find yourself in trouble by keeping it in between your knuckles when striking at an attacker.

Meghan is a junior in LAS

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