Frank Felix, a perspective Penn State student from Florida, said college students should consider investing. He plans on talking with his parents and reading The Wall Street Journal to get more insight into the market. This is a good starting point for student investors. If you really like a product like McDonald's fries or Gap jeans, chances are that you're not alone and the company is popular and successful. If you decide to invest in a specific company, you'll want to purchase stock.
Stock is sold in units called shares, and each share represents a small part of the company.
The more shares you buy, the more of the company you own. The price per share of stock rises and falls with supply and demand. If a company's popularity is on the rise, the price of stock will go up. A rule of thumb for any sort of investing is that you should be in it for the long term. A more realistic plan for the amateur investor is to keep your money invested in one place for at least a year.