Off to college? It can be a bit scary, especially if you don't know anyone at the school you plan to attend. Still, take heart; things could be worse. Girls and boys of the Okiek tribe of Kenya are ritually circumcised or excised when they're 14-16 years old. They then cover themselves in clay and charcoal and live in segregation for up to 24 weeks. Even the most extreme fraternity or sorority hazing in this country can't be that bad. Almost certainly.

Among the things that might be worrying you about college, credit cards are probably pretty low down your list, if they appear at all. And yet how you handle your money over the next few years could have almost as big an impact on your future life as your SAT score. It could determine for years after graduation how easy you find it to rent an apartment, get a mortgage, finance a car or, possibly, even get a job, if a future employer consults your credit history as part of its background checks.