Debt Reduction

So...I graduated from Georgetown this May and have been trying to find a job in the US pertaining to my major. Something related to Japanese studies where I can improve my language skills. However, America isn't the most lucrative place for this and with the current job market, I can't say that it will be an easy task of finding something at this point...however time is not on my side financially. After I graduated from Georgetown, I have over 100K worth of student loans to pay off. I have monthly bills that combined reach a little over $1000 a month and they start coming next month. Luckily I have a dad that is willing to carry the burden (hopefully) until I land a job and I am so blessed because some people don't even have parents to help them during times such as this. I'm really grateful for that.

My boyfriend however has found a job and starts working next month. He had his grandmother to pay for his tuition and everything so he is one of the lucky few to exit college debt free. In some ways I'm jealous of that but I'm not going to feel remorse for something I can never obtain. This is my situation and it could be worse. Even though my boyfriend was lucky enough to escape the woes of debt, his family is overbearing and very controlling. They don't want him to date and we're pretty much sneaking behind there back to be able to be together. When I look at how he has to live, I do feel better I have parents like mine. I don't feel constricted and although they didn't have the money like his family does, I do have the freedom that he doesn't.

Although you can say this freedom is hindered in a way because of my debt and you may be right. There are a lot of things I can't do because of this debt but I try to find ways around it. Right now I have an interview to teach English in Japan. If this works out I will have the chance to live in Japan again, be immersed in the language and live under a financially strict budget to try and reduce this massive debt. I hope that by the time I leave, I will have eliminated all the government funded debt that I had accrued throughout my school career and just have my private loans to deal with when I come back. However, the one thing that scares me the most is the loan I took out with discover that makes up around half of the debt that I owe. Trying to knock that out will be a challenge but I feel that with my families support and my own financial dictatorship I will be able to get out of debt by the age of 30. Although this seems like a long stretch to be able to try and pay off 100K in seven years time, I think if obedient to my plan I've created and given the right work opportunities I can pull it off.

As depressing as it may seem to be this much in debt and only have earned a Bachelor's degree, I feel that there are things I could have done differently to try and make my loan choices better, however what's done is done and this is my situation I dug myself into. I'm not proud of it but I feel I will pull myself out of it.