The Voice
Picture this, you are strolling along Georgia College & State University’s beautiful campus. It is a wonderful day, the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, and a cool breeze passes over your face every so often to remind you of the overly exceptional day you are having.
Just at that moment of pure solitude you are interrupted by someone yelling, “Hey! You want a free T-shirt,” or “Hey! You want some free M & M’s. All you have to do is sign up for this credit card.” For that brief second you have a choice-either to stop, or if you are smart, say thanks but no thanks and keep going. But still you ponder as you walk away–why does GC&SU allow credit card vendors to solicit on our campus, and could these companies not send better officials to represent them in a better marketing scheme?
The Department of Student Activities here on campus was given the tough responsibility of monitoring and approving vendors on campus. Until now, there has never been a real problem with credit card vendors on campus, besides the usual–students changing walking patterns to avoid them or students just being overly rude to steer vendors away.
However, maybe, GC&SU should wonder if promoting credit cards to students is in their best interest. After all, that is what they are here for, to look out for our best interests and to move us into adulthood.
As with everything in life, there are positives and negatives to this topic; establishing good credit is necessary but not at the cost of gaining bad credit. Here is a quick reality check from 1997.
By the time students had completed their freshman year, more than 80 percent of the U.S. college population had at least one credit card, according to the Consumer Federation of America, as reported by the Associated Press.
The average debt on those cards was $2,226, with 14 percent of the students having between $3,000 and $7,000 of debt, and 10 percent owing more than $7,000. Imagine the increase today. These statistics are outrageous and outweigh any positives.
The Colonnade is in agreement that debt is something we need to be aware of, but not in, because of misleading vendors.
GC&SU should educate us about this, instead of tempting us on campus, and focus us on never giving out our social security number. If a credit card is something a student truly desires, then the information is out there to get either in the mail, by phone or on the internet.
If you have already given in to the temptation of such obnoxious vendors, or just have a credit card, here are some things to know about them. Studentcredit.com is a great source of information about credit management. People make mistakes every day with credit cards, and many could have been avoided with the proper management.
With credit cards, you should never overspend; take into account that when your bill comes you have to pay something. Keep your balance manageable, and always remember to pay your bill on time. Your best bet is to read the fine print. That is where all your important information is found.
If you are already worried about debt, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, or CCCS, is a non-profit organization that provides free or low-cost counseling and guidance to people in financial trouble. The CCCS can be reached by calling 800/388-CCCS.
Credit cards are a very serious piece of plastic-think twice before filling out any information to get one. Credit can be gained elsewhere.
Please feel free to contact The Colonnade in response to “The Voice.” Send your signed letter to the editors, and your voice will be heard.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 5 2001. Filed under Our Voice.
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