sulks

JZ's Lunch: Microwaved pouch of TastyBites saag paneer (not great, but decent and decently spicy, and worlds better than the last saag paneer I had, which came from an actual local restaurant but was vile). For dessert, an apple with peanut butter.

I had both a big bowl of cereal and Incredibles Pop-Tarts for breakfast and felt that I must pay for my sins. But the apple is gone and I'm hungry enough to eat my right arm.

you people are fancy having dessert with lunch.

Deferring your loans means you don't have to pay on them (interest accrues) or you can pay the interest if you like. People usually do this in your sitch.

Consolidation is when you have several loans out, you lump them all together into one nice and easy payment and usually pay a lower amount than if you sent separate payments.

You have a 6 month grace period before repayment starts, so that already takes you to November. I don't know what you could get a deferment for right now - generally they are for more school, joining the army ;), etc. Consolidation generally reduces your monthly payment but, of course, increases the amount you ultimately pay.

I would see what your monthly payment would be come Nov. and see how long you could swing that if it took you longer than you expect to find work. Only then consider consolidation. Schools generally have an office that gives student loan advice.

(ftr, I do think the slumber party thing is weird, I'm just not convinced it's insane or criminal.)

UPN kills ENTERPRISE

you people are fancy having dessert with lunch.

Or big bellied. I'd love to have dessert with lunch. I'm never hungry enough.

Nonian, after I graduated last May, I had a grace period until December before I had to actually start paying my loans back (though now that I am thinking abotu it carefully, I did have to apply for a deferment on the pre-existing loans that i hadn't been paying back while I was in school, but if you haven't done that before, you probably don't have any). And in that time I consolidated (in addition to the pre-existing loans, I had taken out 4 separate loans while in school this time) and ended up not having an actual payment to make until January (and my payment is about half of what the non-consolidated payments would have added up to, maybe less).

Or big bellied.

::checks belly. nods::

Wait -- Nutty -- how about being in love with fictional characters -- does that scare you too?

Love for fictional characters is safe. Because you will never meet a fictional character in a dark alley; consequently, whether or not your infatuation has allowed you to imbue that fictional character with positive attributes he does not deserve is a moot question.

Wow, we spent the whole afternoon talking about Michael Jackson. How conventional! This must be the price we pay for 500 consecituve math puns.