Going away to school is often the time in your life when you're handed your first credit card. Sometimes the card is an extension of a parental account, and they're picking up the bill. Or maybe they're sending the statements to you. Sometimes you receive a nice looking packet in the mail from a bank you've never heard of, swearing they've been thinking about you so fondly that they've gone ahead and issued a card with your name on it. If you fill out enough of those forms and send them back in, eventually you will get a card issued to you.
Control is the issue with credit.
Sometimes the need for purchasing power is immediate, and credit cards empower you to take advantage of those opening. Once you enter the credit system, your credit record will become an integral part of your financial life. Establish a dependable credit record, and you allow yourself great financial flexibility. The convenience of credit cards is a well-established thing. If you k now you can make the payment at the end of the month, spending with plastic frees you from the ATM, and makes spontaneous spending decisions a snap.