Most college students have some sort of card in their wallet. Debit, credit, prepaid—we all need somewhere to charge our online shopping, restaurant and/or bar purchases, right? But who is actually paying for all this? Who is paying for the $100 shoes and $500 spring break vacation to some tropical island? Lets face it, for most college students, it’s their parents; If this wasn’t you, good. If it was, let’s talk.

If college students have a credit card, it might have their own name on it, but that bill is most likely rerouted to their parents account to get paid. That’s the reality. My first credit card was my parent’s credit card. I got it right before my freshman year of college as an 18 year old. It was good to have for my freshman year, but I never really used it. I always felt kind of weird using it. It didn’t make me feel responsible; it made me feel dependent. With that in mind, I decided to go my own route.

About a month before my sophomore year started, I applied and received my own credit card. Eight months later, when I turned 20, I gave my parents credit card back to my mom. After having that card for about a year and a half, I realized that card wasn’t pushing me forward; it was holding me back.

Using your parent’s credit card doesn’t teach you anything. It doesn’t teach you about credit because you aren’t the one responsible for paying that bill on time. It won’t teach you about financial responsibility because you don’t have to budget your spending based on your income. There is no value for yourself or your parents. If you’re going to spend some money while you’re young, you might as well build some credit. A lot of college students will be purchasing cars and homes in the next 5-10 years, so you might as well have some credit history.

Credit cards can be dangerous if you don’t pay your bills on time or if you spend too much of your limit. The last thing you want coming out of college is a bad credit score and potentially student loan debt; that will put you in the hole before you even get started. Even if you aren’t the best with money, having a credit card with a low limit isn’t a bad thing. It teaches you about how to budget and how to keep a good credit score before that skill becomes a necessity for us in our lives.

Lets face it: you really don’t need your parent’s credit card. It’s not worth anything to you or your future. Give your parents that card back and get started on the exciting and terrifying journey of growing up.