There once was a boy named Dick, who graduated high school and was ecstatic when he was accepted into the University of Oregon. But alas, Dick was unaware of the terrors that come with college life.
Dick’s mom cried and said, “Call if you need anything.” Dick’s dad patted him on the shoulder and said, “Take care, son.”
Dick arrived at his residence hall, 18 years old and ready to take on the world. But little did Dick know that monsters lurked beneath the shadows, waiting for him to say, “I have no money. What can I do?”
That day soon came when all of Dick’s newfound friends told him of the parties, the pizza and the fun — but it took money to get to these magical places. What could he do?
Dick’s friend Sam took him aside and said, “It’s easy. All you have to do is sign your name.”
Well, Dick was in awe, and he agreed when Sam said he knew of a person who could help. They met in the Pioneer Cemetery. Sam introduced Dick to Damian, stammered his goodbye and ran. Damian asked what Dick needed. Dick said he craved access to the magical place of fun.
Damian twiddled his bony hands. “Excellent.”
Damian took out his blood-red clipboard with a long piece of parchment on it. Tiny, illegible writing was scrawled across the bottom. Instead of reading what it said, Dick signed it.
With that, Damian handed him the key to the magical place. From then on, Dick was hooked. Dick couldn’t stop. He couldn’t get enough of the magic. He found himself overwhelmed and was never heard from again.
The moral of the story? Don’t get “Dick-ed.” Learn to stay in control of your finances and credit.
You can follow a few simple steps, as documented by
StudentMarket.com.
* Pay on time.
* Stay within your credit limit to avoid fees.
* Limit the number of credit cards you apply for. Don’t get sucked into the “free stuff” world.
* Set money aside for emergencies or savings.
* Use credit wisely.
* Read everything before you sign. Pay close attention to terms and conditions and tiny print.
* Review your credit report periodically, to make sure there are no discrepancies.
* Be honest. If you can’t pay your bill on time, call the creditor and make arrangements.
We understand being a college student can be rough. Students are often strapped for cash and starving just to pay rent. We’ve been in those situations. Yes, even the editorial board members.
And once credit is established, it can be even harder to stay in control. But students should heed our senior advice: Don’t go on “therapeutic” shopping sprees to deal with the fact that you’re so far in debt you can’t make minimum payments.
For more tips on budgeting and maintaining credit, visit www.studentmarket.com. Also, a debt management team is coming to campus to counsel students who get in over their heads. For more information, contact Sue Jenkins at 346-3215.