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Credit history, like work experience, can seem impossible to get unless you already have some. How do聽you build a good track record if nobody will give you your first chance?

That鈥檚 why 聽seem attractive. The name implies that as long as you鈥檙e a student, you can get a credit card, right?

Unfortunately, it鈥檚 not that simple. In fact, 鈥渟tudent鈥� credit cards are something of a myth. You still need to go through the same vetting process as non-students, and it can still be tough to get approved unless you have significant income.

So what are your options? Let鈥檚 take a look.

What is a student credit card?

Most student credit cards aren鈥檛 too聽different from regular cards 鈥� except that they鈥檙e marketed to students. Card issuers still check your credit history. They still want to see a steady income. And unless you鈥檙e working full time, they require applicants under 21 to get a co-signer.

Let鈥檚 repeat that: If you don鈥檛 have a full-time income, you have to be at least 21 to get approved for a student credit card without a co-signer. Unless you take time off along the way or return to school later in your career, you won鈥檛 be able to qualify for a student credit card on your own until you鈥檙e almost done with college.

So why are they called 鈥渟tudent鈥� credit cards? In some ways, it鈥檚 a throwback to the days when credit card issuers weren鈥檛 as tightly regulated as they are now. At one time, issuers all but聽handed out聽credit cards to students as they arrived on campus. But newer regulations, designed to protect vulnerable consumers, prohibit issuers from marketing credit cards to younger applicants who may find themselves overwhelmed by debt if they start using credit cards too early.

Some cards do have special benefits for students, like or . But for the most part, they鈥檙e normal credit cards packaged to appeal to students.

The alternatives to student credit cards

If you don鈥檛 have a full-time income and you鈥檙e under 21, it may be tempting to just give it a shot anyway and apply for a student credit card. But each application has a small impact on your credit score, so applying for cards willy-nilly isn鈥檛 ideal.

There are alternatives, however.

Become an authorized user. If you have a family member with a strong credit history, you may be able to get a credit card linked to that relative鈥檚 account. Your name will be on the card, but the primary account holder will be responsible for paying the bills. It鈥檚 up to you to reimburse that person聽for your purchases.

• If you want to build credit, look for an issuer that will report authorized-user activity to the three credit bureaus that gather the data that make up your credit score. Not all issuers do so. 聽can help you choose an issuer.

Use a co-signer. If you can鈥檛 qualify for a credit card on your own, you may be able to qualify with a co-signer 鈥� someone who accepts responsibility for the debt if you don鈥檛 pay it. In this case,聽you鈥檙e a primary account holder, not just an authorized user, and your activity will be reported to the credit bureaus. Careful use of the card will help your credit score, but mistakes can drag it and your co-signer鈥檚 credit score down.

• Not all issuers allow co-signers, but a handful of major issuers do. See for details.

Use a debit card. For those times when you want the convenience of plastic, a debit card can be just the ticket. But keep in mind that debit cards 鈥� including prepaid cards 鈥斅燿on鈥檛 affect your credit score at all, so they鈥檙e not a path to eventually qualifying for a credit card.

• If you opt for a prepaid debit card, beware of cards that charge astronomical fees to activate or reload the card. Some of NerdWallet鈥檚聽favorite are here.

Consider a secured card. Unlike debit cards, secured credit cards聽do report to the credit bureaus, so they do help you build credit.聽With this type of card, you put down a security deposit that usually is equal to your credit limit. For example, a $300 deposit would typically get you a $300 spending limit on your card. But like other types of credit cards, secured cards generally are not available unless you can demonstrate that you have significant income, especially if you鈥檙e under 21.

• After you turn 21, a secured credit card can be a great way to help you build credit. We recommend you choose an issuer聽that will聽help you transition to an unsecured card. See NerdWallet鈥檚聽.

If you had thought you鈥檇 be able to qualify for a student credit card just because you鈥檙e a student, you certainly wouldn鈥檛 be the only one. In some cases, your only option is to wait until you鈥檝e got a steady paycheck. Then you can start .

Virginia C. McGuire is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: virginia@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: . This article first appeared at .