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From academics to social life to extracurriculars, your college experience will offer an exciting menu of activities, some familiar and some new. One thing you’ll probably encounter on campus that may be new to you is vigorous discussions about hot-button issues. You’ve probably heard that one of those issues is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sometimes, when issues heat up in the Middle East, there is an increase in discourse, protests and anger around those Israeli-Palestinian issues. And you may be concerned that you’ll encounter some challenging situations on your campus.

If you do, the most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone. You have many resources available to help you deal with whatever situations you face, from Jewish student organizations like Hillel and others, to your school’s student life professionals and other off-campus Jewish community organizations like ADL. Maybe you’re an activist, eager to take on challenging situations and engage in intense discussions with your peers. Maybe you’d rather focus on your studies and your social life. Or maybe you’re somewhere in between.

Whatever your inclination, you may find yourself in a position where you want some guidance on how to respond. Sometimes antisemitic or extreme anti-Israel language and actions is really obvious — you can’t miss it. Other times, the situation is more nuanced. That’s why it’s important to be informed. We’ve put together some scenarios you might face that represent situations that have already happened on American campuses, along with suggested steps you could take to prepare beforehand, or to take action at that time.

Of course, it’s important to remember every situation is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all response that will always work. What is always true is that your personal safety comes first. Your next steps could be reaching out to your campus Hillel, campus administration, ADL or another organization to discuss the specific set of circumstances you’re facing and get advice on a potential plan of action.