# Credit Tips for College Students Building good credit in college doesn't require a complicated strategy. In this Credit Corner episode, Ethan asks Ellen for her number one tip for maintaining good credit as a college student—and her answer is straightforward. Get a credit card, use it sparingly, and pay it off in full every month. That's it. The power is in the consistency: a long track record of on-time payments, started early, compounds into a strong credit history that follows you well beyond graduation. ...more ## Transcription ### More in this series - **[The most common reason credit scores drop](/content/series/the-most-common-reason-credit-scores-drop/index.html)** 1:14 - **[How to plan for your future and get out of debt in midlife](/content/series/how-to-plan-for-your-future-and-get-out-of-debt-in-midlife/index.html)** 1:47 - **[Why Your Credit Score Varies by Bureau](/content/series/why-your-credit-score-varies-by-bureau/index.html)** 1:35 - **[How Many Trade Lines Do You Actually Need?](/content/series/how-many-trade-lines-do-you-actually-need/index.html)** 1:12 - **[Why Credit Drops Fast But Builds Slowly](/content/series/why-credit-drops-fast-but-builds-slowly/index.html)** 1:20 - **[Why Paying Off a Loan Can Drop Your Credit Score](/content/series/why-paying-off-a-loan-can-drop-your-credit-score/index.html)** 1:18 - **[Financial Literacy Class: Credit scores, budgets, and how to use both](/content/series/financial-literacy-class-credit-scores-budgets-and-how-to-use-both/index.html)** 38:17 - **[What Credit Score Do You Need to Buy a Car?](/content/series/what-credit-score-do-you-need-to-buy-a-car/index.html)** 1:28 - **[The Best Credit Habit You Can Build](/content/series/the-best-credit-habit-you-can-build/index.html)** 2:11 - **[How to Start Saving for Retirement](/content/series/how-to-start-saving-for-retirement/index.html)** 1:54 - **[How do you start a budget?](/content/series/how-do-you-start-a-budget/index.html)** 1:25 - **[When’s the best time to pay your credit card bill?](/content/series/when%E2%80%99s-the-best-time-to-pay-your-credit-card-bill/index.html)** 1:23 - **[Counter Offers Explained: We’ll Get You The Most We Can](/content/series/counter-offers-explained-we%E2%80%99ll-get-you-the-most-we-can/index.html)** 1:59 - **[Why Possible Keeps Loan Amounts Manageable](/content/series/why-possible-keeps-loan-amounts-manageable/index.html)** 1:27 - **[How Possible Decides Who Qualifies for a Loan](/content/series/how-possible-decides-who-qualifies-for-a-loan/index.html)** 1:48 - **[How to Fix Your Credit](/content/series/how-to-fix-your-credit/index.html)** 1:14 - **[What You Can Actually Dispute on Your Credit Report](/content/series/what-you-can-actually-dispute-on-your-credit-report/index.html)** 1:31 - **[How to Rebuild Your Credit After a Score Drop](/content/series/how-to-rebuild-your-credit-after-a-score-drop/index.html)** 2:06 - **[How to Spot Credit Repair Scams](/content/series/how-to-spot-credit-repair-scams/index.html)** 1:13 - **[Can You Get a Loan or Credit Card With Bad Credit?](/content/series/can-you-get-a-loan-or-credit-card-with-bad-credit/index.html)** 1:31 - **[Overwhelmed by Debt? 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