Credit Cards and New College Students

If you are heading off to college or have child who is, watch out for the predatory practices of credit card companies. You may be surprised by just how easy it is for new students to get credit cards. New students are bombarded with credit card offers and guess what? If they apply they likely will be accepted and given a line of credit despite having no credit history.

Credit card companies see students as a good investment since they either will get a college education and be able to cover their debt or their parents will bail them out. Advise your child or youself to avoid the Credit Card trap that awaits all new students.

Answers:

Credit Cards and New College Students

I got my son a credit card on my account when he went on a yoga teaching tour at 16 years old. It was not my main card (I only have one) but a new card that would only be used for the trip. He did in fact not use the card, but had it for emergencies. Now that he's back home and getting ready for college, I wanted to have it signed over to him but he's not 18 yet.

The point is, he had a checking account and a debit card for that account and learned how to use that on the trip, and had an emergency credit card, and learned how to manage both BEFORE he will be old enough to leave home.

It's a bit late to warn your kids when they leave home. It's best to teach them how to use the system before they ever leave. (08/02/2004)

By Allison

New College Students

*Flip flops ~~~ VITAL for communal showers.
*quarter rolls ~~~ good for laundry day
*index cards ~~~ good for that "wait" time spent in lines, waiting on professors to show up, etc. Use them for vocabulary (word on one side, definition on the other), foreign language (English on one side, translation on the other), terms (like "cottage industry" on one side...on the back, what it was and why it was important to the Renaissance etc. etc.)

When I was in college, I began to use index cards to use wait time to study, and I watched my grades jump by one letter in some classes, two in others. Because they're small, they're also portable. Plus, future students might be willing to buy them from you once finals are over. The secret is, though, it's imperative that you make them yourself because you absorb some of the material just by making the cards. (08/04/2004)

By Melissa