College is where many of us get to enjoy our first taste of freedom and living pretty much in the manner that we desire. Along with this newly found independence, comes financial freedom and responsibility. Because of this, many new college students today are in the marketplace for college student credit cards. Students see all the enticing college credit cards available with all of the unique rewards, points and cash back offers available sound so great and many students do not know exactly which way to turn. And unfortunately, many students decide to apply and begin using college credit cards anyway, and for all the wrong reasons. Students start by using these cards to live above their means with frivolous purchases (pizza and beer), and then graduate to purchasing expensive items for their dorm rooms just to impress their peers and so on and so forth.
College students receive advertisements and even applications from credit card companies for college student credit cards in the mail, their email inboxes, in their new textbooks at college book stores and even in the college newspapers. Many of these are stamped with the very enticing words Pre-approved. Since these...