Are you a student, or do you have a son or daughter in high school or college? Then you should know that one of the best tools for a student's future security and happiness is a credit card.

Just as the only way to get a good job reference is to have a job first, (which can create a thorny problem in itself!), the only way to build a good credit history is to obtain a credit card and use it wisely. Those who never realize and act upon this simple fact of modern life wake up one day without credit, probably when they most need it. What a rude awakening.

Part of good parenting has always been teaching the child how to handle money responsibly. These days, handling a credit card wisely is every bit as important. Credit represents not only cash, but credibility. Creditors interpret a person's credit history as a manifestation of his or her character and integrity.

Good credit is essential in order to prosper in our almost cashless society. And the only way anyone,but especially a student, starting off in life--can build good credit is to get with the program, obtain a credit card and use it with care.

Did you know there are special credit cards just for students? They're designed with the young person in mind, tailor-made to help a responsible young adult nurture and grow his or her solid credit history. Many offer bonuses in the form of points or cash back for items that are popular with students, such as video rental stores, restaurants, bookstores, clothing stores, gas stations, movie theaters and record stores.

For those who have bad credit or no credit at all, there are prepaid master cards that require no credit check or bank account to back them up. A little judicial care and watering of these debit cards can go a long way toward growing a good credit rating.

People coming of age (sometimes called "Gen P", meaning The Plastic Generation) understand abstract concepts such as paying with plastic better than previous generations. Kids have no trouble spending with plastic. But maturity comes with experience, and that comes with time.

Children need to understand early that credit cards aren't for just any old occasion, like a hamburger at a fast food place; they're meant to be used for unusual items that aren't needed on a regular basis, such as a new coat.

A good credit rating comes from paying back more than the minimum on the holder's monthly bill. Remembering to pay the credit bill on time builds good credit. And doing what it takes to have a good credit history builds character out in the world, and increases your credibility and all your chances.

The luckiest people in the up-and-coming generations of today will not only understand how credit works, but how essential a good credit rating is to make their credit work for them, and not against them.