College 101: The Evils of Credit Cards

No more pencils...
Congratulations! You made it. All of the studying, classes, money spent on books, late-night cramming, term papers, exams, stress, despair and anxiety has now come to an end. Unfortunately, so has the partying, Spring Breaks, meal plans, living right nextdoor (or, at least, within walking distance) to good friends, sports events, spontaneous road trips, roommates, Greek Life, and all of the other things that you will look back on and sigh about.

That's right. You're a grown up. A bona-fide adult.

Kinda scary, isn't it?

No more books...
What you do have to look forward to is your independence... and to fully supporting it yourself. Credit card bills, rent, groceries, utilities, and, of course, the dreaded student loans. You shouldn't depend on Mom and Dad anymore, folks. It's time to join the "real world."

Isn't that funny? When we were high school seniors, we couldn't wait to go to college and join the "real world." Then, we went to college. While we're in college, we don't exactly realize how good we've got it until we graduate. Once that diploma is in our grubby, little paws, two words hit us like a ton of bricks...

NOW WHAT?!

No more teachers' dirty looks!
You are truly on your own. Oh, sure, you'll have a support system, but the decisions that you make are going to be a reflection of you and you alone. Choose wisely. of course, you'll make mistakes. Just make the ones that you'll be able to resolve or live with.

The biggest problem is going to be finances. It doesn't matter if you get a high-paying job immediately after college, or are unemployed for a significant amount of time: You're going to have financial issues.

The financial issues usually are caused by financial mistakes made during college or in the couple of years following graduation. Once you realize that you've gotten in over your head, it's too late and it will take years to dig yourself out.