As spring turns into summer the time of year draws near when the next generation of university students starts considering where they're going to spend (at least) the next three years. Many people will be travelling around attending different open days and hoping that they get the exam grades to get into their first choice.

A recent survey of current students suggested that this generation of students has taken an average of ?1,400 worth of possessions to University with them. This is an extraordinarily high figure, but when you consider clothes, MP3 players, laptops, musical instruments and any number of other items it suddenly seems a lot more reasonable.

This make universities prime targets for thieves. It's rare to get through a university year without news of at least one serious spate of burglaries. One of the problems is that many universities have old apartment blocks that don't really match up to modern security standards. Of course, even the safest block is useless if someone can knock on the door and ask to be let in to see a ?friend?.

For that reason, whilst it might not be the first thing that leaps to mind, it's important to have proper insurance when you go to university. You might find that your possessions are insured under your parents home insurance policy, but you should make sure before you go. If they are not many universities have close connections with specialist insurers who can offer you good deals, but that doesn't mean that they're the best out there.

Any insurance policy can only be for one year as most students change accommodation between their first and second years, and most commonly find themselves in private accommodation in their second and third years. This leads to a more complex insurance predicament as most universities have specialist insurers who deal with on-campus insurance coverage.

Many landlords will have their own buildings insurance. That means that your insurance only has to cover your own possessions. Unless you're on very good terms with your housemates it's best to get coverage for your own room rather than the value of the entire house's contents. You don't want your own policy premiums to be raised because your housemate has an expensive guitar.

Bear in mind when you get your own insurance policy that it can be cheaper not to include certain expensive items. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be insured, you can get separate policies for them, but their presence on your application form will raise your premiums to the extent that it may well be cheaper to get separate policies.

Theft is one of the main dangers to students, particularly second and third years, and nothing can be more disruptive to your university career than suffering a theft. Co-Operative Finance are one company who are offering good home insurance deals at the moment and might be the ideal place to look for a good policy.