>
>Makes me wish I'd win the lottery or something and be able to sidestep
>all of it. Hell, the universities of the UNC network would probably
>have me going to a public university even if I could afford a private
>college -- the state schools in the Connecticut State University
>system were not pleasant experiences for me, but the UNC schools have
>interesting programs, and the UNC Chapel Hill campus is as pretty as a
>lot of private schools I've seen. (Though Duke remains one of the
>prettiest schools I've ever seen.)

For my own part, I went to another part of the UNC system, East Carolina University (class of 1985), and we in Greenville tended to have something of a love-hate relationship with the Big 4 (UNC-CH, NCSU, Duke and Wake Forest). ECU fans aren't particularly rabid, though we do occasionally get up to shenanigans like tearing down the goalposts at North Carolina State. We'd rather drink beer, all things considered; ECU has a long-standing reputation as a party school.

But to get things back on topic, student loans bedevil me. I'm still wrestling with paying back loans that I had to take out when I attended law school at George Washington University in Washington, DC (which had the charming habit of raising tuition EVERY SEMESTER. And for the record, my savings covered undergraduate school well enough, but then again, that was 1981-85.) In fact, I've got to write Sallie Mae a letter about that before the 27th. Basic problem is, I just don't make enough to cover all my other bills _and_ those damned student loans too. (Which kinds of brings me to a juddering halt every time I contemplate going back to school to try for another degree...)

-Joe-

P.S. For the record, I like expensive beer. And ECU's basketball team stank on ice this year.

Give me a little time....say, a couple of years....and I just might come up with an interesting signature.