Getting a credit card for a high school student isn’t as difficult as you’d think it would be. Since most credit card companies require that applicants be at least 18 years old, and many high school seniors are of age well before graduation, it’s no wonder credit cards are crawling all over campuses. In fact, more and more college freshmen are entering college with a credit card already in their wallets.

Even though it sounds weird, getting a credit card for a high school student is actually a pretty smart move. The sooner you get a credit card, the sooner you can begin to build your credit history. When you move away from home and try to lease an apartment, that responsible credit history is going to come in handy. That is, of course, unless you constantly want to rely on your parents to cosign.