<prompt> Human: So I will have about 10k in student loans when I graduate. They are federal subsidized loans with a reasonable interest rate. Fortunately, I have a job lined up and will be able to pay off my loans almost immediately. But I am wondering if it would improve my credit score more if I spread the payments out, even if it ended up costing a little more long term. Im more interested in getting my credit score higher. EDIT: Interest rate is 3.86  <response>: The only thing that matters for your credit score is whether you pay your bill on time. Theres no difference as to whether you pay the amount due or go higher. Taking the approach of deliberately paying as slowly as possible in order to have an extra payment occuring monthly is a bad idea, though; pay it off as quickly as possible in order to get out of debt while minimizing the excess you pay from interest. Then get a credit card or two rchurning for info on which give the best rewards and use them, paying your bill in full every month. Thats really all you need to do for a good credit score. 