Just as you’ve settled into the new semester and gotten into the swing of things, your credit card bill arrives in the mail with a surplus of charges racked up from your back-to-school necessities.

As if textbooks weren’t costly enough, browsing through the Hornet Bookstore last January you also realized that you had to have a new Sacramento State sweatshirt, key chain and bumper sticker. Had you been paying with cash, the last items probably would have been passed by. But paying with a credit card you probably thought, “I’1l just pay it off later. No big deal.”

Sound familiar? Sadly, this is how the vicious credit cycle continues.

“My credit card troubles all got started with car problems, and then textbooks, and more car problems, and more books. And now I still seem to be paying for it,” said Jenny Terry, a liberal studies student.

Not that college students are the only ones who end up with credit and debt problems, and of course not all college students fit this category, but the reality is that most students are new to this area of financial freedom and don’t quite know how to handle it yet. In fact, quite often, as soon as the creditors find out that a student is enrolled full time, they scout that person, and try to bring them into the circle of credit.

According to J. Ricketts, a local banker, it is actually easier for a college student to get a credit card than someone else in the same age bracket who isn’t going to school, because the income requirements are less and you don’t need a co-signer.

“We want to give you the means to start getting a financial future while you’re still in college,” said Ricketts.

After you get your first card, the possibilities of getting a second card or a department store charge card seem limitless. With just a major credit card and a driver’s license, one may be instantly approved for the store’s charge card said Shannon Doty, an assistant manager for The Gap. Of course the spending limit you receive will be based on your past credit history.

“I’ve seen people receive anywhere from a $300 limit all the way up to a $1,500 limit,” Doty said.

Students say the main reasons they sign up for major credit cards are convenience, emergencies or to establish some sort of credit. On the other hand, many confess to signing up for store charge cards for a reason as simple as a 10 to 15 percent discount.

“It’s always tempting to open up an account when you are out shopping, they offer you a discount and you can’t say no,” said graphic design major Raquel Schaefer.

For many, the accumulation of credit cards is where excess-spending frenzies begin. Some students admit that when shopping with a credit card, they feel much less guilty than if they were paying cash.

“It feels so much better and is so much easier to pull out the plastic and just pay for it later,” Schaefer said.

Convenience also plays a factor in credit card spending.

“I signed up for my Express card because it is much more convenient to purchase things. I’m usually not walking around with $100 in my pocket,” said Jill Krauel, a kinesiology major.

Robin Jackson, a Clothestime employee, suggested that shoppers coming into the store with credit cards are more carefree with their purchases.

“Less sale items are brought into the dressing rooms and they bring in big, big piles of clothes,” Jackson said.

Doty of The Gap still sees credit card shoppers scanning the sale racks, but they come up to the counter with more items.

“I still see them doing their bargain shopping, but rather than paying just $16 for one top, I see them buying two or three because they are paying by credit card,” said Doty.

Credit cards can be great when you just don’t have the money put away for what you really need. This is especially true for student traveler Queila Thomas.

“If I want to travel, I need my credit card. I just don’t have the money to pay up front all the time,” Thomas said.

Even though credit cards are great for financial emergencies, the recurring bills can be torturous. Most financial burdens are usually unforeseen, yet a little credit advice could never hurt.

Personal banker Ricketts suggests paying your credit card bills off monthly, using them for emergencies only and never abusing them.

Schaefer also advises, “When making purchases, keep track of what you are really spending so you don’t have a big surprise at the end of the month.”

Credit cards are often a survival tool for many college students. They help them put food on the table, pay for their education and keep their modes of transportation up and running. Credit cards can be a blessing in disguise, that is considering that you use them wisely and can keep yourself out of trouble.