I'm Only a College Student, Can I Still Qualify for a Credit Card? (cont.)
Contributed by Melanie Vannuys
When you finally do decide on a credit card that fits your needs, the work doesn't stop. Now you have to maintain your credit card. Don't - and you could be on the road to financial disaster. You have to pay your bills every month - inevitably. If at all possible, pay it in full to avoid finance charges. If you can't pay it in full, then you're over spending. Face it, when you're a college student, sometimes you have to decide whether to spend your money to eat or do laundry.
If you find yourself constantly in that situation, then maybe a credit card isn't the right thing to get right now. Even if you can't pay the card in full, make sure to at least make the monthly minimum payment. This will at least protect your credit rating.
When you have your new credit card in hand, you'll need to come up with a responsible spending schedule. In other words, create a budget and don't cheat! Credit cards taunt you because you can charge it now and not have to worry about it until the next month. Be careful not to get yourself in a situation that you can't get out of.
