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For all of you College-bound juniors and seniors, freshman year of college is going to bring with it a tremendous amount of responsibility. You will more than likely be required to handle certain tasks that were once taken care of by your Parents, the biggest one -- banking your own Money.

First things first, look for a bank close to your college, especially one with an ATM on or near campus. It's a good idea to make sure the bank has Cash machines all over town, says Janet Farrar Worthington, co-author of The Ultimate College Survival Guide (Peterson's, 1998). If you have to use your card at a different bank's ATM, there's often a service charge.

In addition, find out if a potential bank charges a monthly checking fee. Some banks charge for each check you use if you don't maintain a minimum amount in your account. To ward against that, keep your checkbook balanced at all times. Here's how:

1) Immediately after writing a check, record the check number and dollar amount in the checkbook register.

2) Do not write a check before you put a deposit in the bank to cover it. Even though checks usually take two to five Business days to clear, it's a risky habit to develop.

3) Hang on to deposit slip receipts until you receive a monthly statement indicating the deposit was received. Your slip may be the only way the bank can trace your deposit should a problem or mistake occur.

4) Once you receive a statement, compare it to your canceled checks, deposit slips, ATM receipts, and checkbook register. If everything matches, put a check next to each corresponding entry.

5) Add up all of the outstanding checks, including any ATM receipts.

6) Subtract the total amount of the outstanding checks from the total of the final balance on the bank statement. This figure should match your checkbook balance. If not, go back, look things over, and check your math.

7) If the numbers still don't add up, take your checkbook and statement to the bank. (Some advice: Have a friend or relative look it over first just in case the error was made on your part.)

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