Being at university, TAFE or other colleges can be expensive. Tuition, accommodation, books, food, a computer — the costs really add up. To make matters worse, many students don’t earn a lot of money, as they may only be working part-time. This can make credit cards look like an attractive option for getting by. After all, they give the students a way to get what they need now while paying for it later. But there are downsides to student credit card use.

There’s an assumption that students will eventually graduate and take on higher paying jobs, making them able to pay off the credit card debt accumulated at university. That doesn’t always happen, or it can happen slower than expected. That’s not to say students should necessarily avoid credit cards while in school. They just have to be wise about how they use them. The following credit card tips for students can help:

1. Don’t finance everyday expenses.

Do you really want to go into debt over dinner? Credit cards aren’t designed to serve as loans on small everyday expenses like groceries and petrol. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a credit card to pay for these things. Some, like the Citibank BP credit card, are actually intended for that. But you only benefit if you pay off the balance on those purchases in full every month.

2. Leave your credit card at home.

Being away from home and surrounded by peers can sometimes lead to reckless spending behaviour from students. If you know you’ll feel tempted to spend too much when you’re out with friends, leave the credit cards behind. Take cash, and only what you can really afford to spend.

3.  Watch out for introductory offers!

Just because a credit card deal sounds good up front, it doesn’t mean that credit card will be a bargain in the long run. For example, that attractive low interest rate for 12 months might seem unbeatable, but how are you going to feel a year from now when you’re still a student with minimal income and saddled with debt at a higher interest rate? It may not be easy to secure another credit card if you’ve run up debt on the first one, meaning balance transfers might not be an option for you.

4. Stick to a single credit card.

You don’t need a wallet full of credit cards. Chances are good that you won’t be approved for many credit cards anyway. Don’t apply for them. Get a single credit card that works well with your spending habits, and leave it at that while you build your credit history. You’ll be less likely to build too much debt if you don’t have too much credit available to you, and you’ll avoid having a lot of enquiries on your credit file for the next five years.

5. Consider a rewards card.

Many rewards cards have rewards programmes that would be beneficial for students. For example, if you’re attending university far from home, you might want to get a frequent flyer card (like the Velocity NAB credit card). A frequent flyer card could help you save money travelling between home and school. Other rewards cards, like the ANZ Visa Rewards card, offer things students might enjoy like retail shopping vouchers, movie tickets, and iPods.

Credit cards can be a completely new experience for university students, and one that can get you in trouble if you aren’t careful. Before you even consider the credit card tips laid out for you here, there’s something else you should do. Shop around. That might be the most important step towards building a solid credit history — finding the right student credit card for you!