You've heard the classic scenario where "Dad" gives his kids his credit card when they head off to college, for use in case of emergencies. While this does happen for some people, a growing number of college students don't have this luxury. Being young, and fresh out of high school, the vast majority of these students don't have the credit required for  typical credit cards. That's where student credit cards come into play.Student credit cards are specifically designed for those who don't have established credit, but need something they can rely on in the event of an emergency. These cards, in a way, provide the student with a cautious introduction into the world of credit cards. Students are able to familiarize themselves with the perks, and risks, of the credit card industry using these credit cards. Students are able to experiment with earning points (and turning those points into something they can use), and also realize the price they pay in interest. Another great reason for owning student credit cards is the time saving benefit. As a student, finding the time to buy the things you need can sometimes be difficult. Rather than paying a higher price by purchasing what they need at the nearest place, those using student credit cards are able to purchase their goods online. This also helps to teach the students the importance of planning in advance. Because purchasing items online requires keeping better track of what you'll need in the near future, students who use student credit cards for the majority of their shopping needs gain a lot of experience in careful planning.The most popular reason for student credit cards is "backup", for when the student has items they need to purchase, but they don't have the funds available at that exact moment. This is where students need to exercise caution. They need to learn how to implement their own spending limits, and impose these limits on themselves. Just because their student credit cards give them a fairly high limit, doesn't mean they need to max out that limit the first chance they get. Students also will learn, through experience, the importance of paying off the balance as much as possible, as often as possible. For this reason, student credit cards often have a much lower limit than "regular" credit cards. All in all, student credit cards are useful in teaching many important lessons. In many ways, college students who use these types of credit cards learn skills that will apply to many other factors of their lives, as well. As long as the benefits and risks are both taken into consideration, student credit cards can be an invaluable tools for learning how to live in the real world.

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