As students head off to university, insurers would like to remind everyone that laptops, phones and bikes are at the top of thieves' shopping lists - possibly above textbooks, which remain stubbornly worthless on the black market.

According to Aviva, these items are the most likely to appear in student insurance claims, having been stolen from digs, cars, public transport, and bars and restaurants. The majority of student insurance claims are the result of theft, ahead of accidental damage, the insurer said, though it declined to specify what proportion of claims actually resulted in payouts - a detail that is, presumably, also insured.

"Laptops, computers and mobile phones play a vital role in student life, but they can also be attractive targets for opportunistic thieves due to their value and portability," said Steven Jackson, Aviva's home product manager, stating the thesis of every campus crime drama ever made.

Fortunately, there are ways to protect your stuff. Aviva suggests leaving really expensive and sentimental belongings back at home, locking up valuables and keeping them out of sight when you're out, and staying vigilant - asking yourself whether you truly need to leave your bag or laptop unattended to reserve a café table or a library spot. The answer, historically, is no.

Whether to insure your belongings at university is entirely a personal choice. Car insurance is compulsory, per the Association of British Insurers (ABI), but insuring your bike or other items is optional - a freedom that has ruined fewer finances than the alternative.

First, the ABI suggests checking whether you're already covered. Some student halls include insurance, and your parents' policy might extend to you. If not, you can buy contents insurance, which "covers the cost of replacing or repairing your possessions if they are damaged, destroyed or stolen - giving you peace of mind that you're protected should something go wrong," the ABI said.

But you must check how much you're covered for and whether it's enough to replace everything, including the maximum value of a claim on a single item. Do this by creating an inventory of all your contents - clothes, electronics, furniture - and adding up the replacement cost of each. You might need to pay extra to cover a nice bike, or items you take out and about rather than leave in your accommodation.

And if you're driving, make sure your insurer knows the car is kept somewhere new. If it's your parents' car and you are now the main driver, you have to inform the insurer. Not doing so is illegal - which is a more serious problem than a stolen laptop, though admittedly less likely to happen in a library.