This week we discussed the inevitable candidacy of Mitt Romney, our Christmas wishes and the need to cure HIV. Meanwhile, the rest of the Pac-12 talked about credit cards in college, privacy and student loan debt.

The State Press

Arizona State University

College students are ever increasingly becoming the target audience for credit card companies. Our educational expenses, impulsive lifestyles and for many of us, our first independent living situations together breed the perfect storm for credit card debt. Thus, the market seems to be making a shift, making us a top priority … Not only is the pressure to go to school greater than ever, but also the price tag to do so increases every year. With soaring tuition costs, the pressure to put necessary extraneous expenses on credit cards is in many cases unavoidable … Always consider your reasoning for opening a credit card. If you are doing it solely to save 25 percent on that dress you don’t even really need … better think twice. Make sure you understand all the credit terms before signing up.

One card may be more suitable to your intended plan of usage than another. Also, if you find yourself in credit card debt, don’t hesitate to find help and learn your options … Think twice before putting those rounds of drinks on your Visa or before going on a shopping spree at the expense of your credit report. Being in college might feel like a break from reality, but keep in mind that when you finally have the diploma in your hand your debt will be waiting for you.

—“Buy now, pay later” by Emily Beckley

The Daily Trojan

University of Southern California

Stories of people digitally compromising their dignity are everywhere. Whether or not we heed the warnings about appropriate online conduct, we’ve all heard them. But online image problems aren’t always about averting crises. The stakes aren’t always so high. Often, the desire for more control over one’s digital identity comes from a more subtle place. Every day, we become slightly different people. The changes are so small and gradual that we often don’t notice them, but they accumulate. Have you found yourself looking at photos from high school and wondering what you could have possibly been thinking? I have. Changes tend to be especially meaningful during our first few decades. Three years might not mean much to a 50-year-old, but if you’re 18, three years make up almost 17 percent of your life.

Before the Internet, it was easy to keep the nature and extent of these changes private … Nowadays, people tend to express themselves online. It’s incredibly easy. Why buy a book and pull out a glue stick when you can make a scrapbook on Tumblr? This shift has made our former selves blatantly public. All the creative material we generate online stays there. It’s true you can put up passwords or remove content altogether. Unfortunately, though, you can’t always predict what you’ll find embarrassing later — and by that point, it could be too late.

—“When posting online, consider the future” by Maya Itah

The Daily Bruin

University of California, Los Angeles

President Barack Obama recently announced a proposal to consolidate student loans and decrease monthly payments. In an effort to assist those suffocating from student loans to repay, the president provides hope for a debt-free life. Being overwhelmed with debt is stressful, and the president takes a long-anticipated and much-needed step toward making higher education more accessible. Despite the grim economy and dismal job market, the average college graduate still has a higher income than someone without a bachelor’s degree. Even with the surplus of degrees, college is still worth the costs.

But still, more needs to be done … Obama’s plan still has kinks that must be worked out. For example, this policy would apply only to those who took out student loans post-2008. What about those who just missed the cutoff, those who are also drowning in debt? Ideally, increases in tuition and fees should be stopped, but without this program, Americans with student loans will continue to be prisoners to their own debts, unable to make ends meet and living a life dictated by their loans. Hopefully, his executive order will force Congress to solve this issue with urgency. We need a fundamental change in the way student loans are lent and borrowed.
_
—“Lending a helping hand” by Jessica Lee_
________________