Anna Moreno, a contributor to The Billfold, writes about what happened when she defaulted on her student loans.

It shows just how easy it is to get into that “I’ll handle it later” mentality, and how easy it is to not get a job and then face down the barrel of enormous student loan debt.

Eventually, after having her wages garnished for a year, Moreno sought out loan rehabilitation and consolidation with the Department of Education, which sounded like a completely reasonable and pleasant process.

But her story is a cautionary tale for all young people out there, even the credit-averse and the good-planners—yes, it can happen to you too.

So when you’re considering taking out student loans, follow my path to success:

1. Have a few roads you can take: that dream job after college didn’t come through? Plan a few other potential jobs with salaries that can get you debt free ASAP.
2. Backup your money: you backup your hard drive, but why don’t you backup your checking account? Work on building up your emergency fund, even if it’s only $100/month during and before college. This could make the different down the road between creditor calls and ramen dinners versus paying off debt and normal food.
3. Line up jobs now: it’s never too early to start looking for a job. Start networking and lining up potential jobs now. Reach into whatever networks you can—parents, friends, friends’ parents, any adults you trust.
4. Budget: find the absolute max you’re required to pay per month, and start budgeting to put that aside. Setup auto-pay so payments go out on-time and in-full, avoiding those pesky creditor calls, late payments, and credit score dings.