How it all began

I began college at Auburn University in Alabama during the fall of 2002. I was going to get a degree in Aerospace Engineering. Yes. I was going to be a rocket scientist. In fact, I was going to even be an astronaut and be the first man on Mars. Well, plans changed. Three and a half years later my grades were slipping, motivation was gone, and hopes and dreams had changed. I'm from Ohio so by this point I had accrued three and a half years of student loan debt. Keep in mind out of state tuition is four times more expensive than in state at Auburn. I met my future wife during my 4th year of school and during my 4th summer I changed my major. It was late in the game but I switched into Industrial Engineering. Things got better...much better. I got married in my 5th year and my grades began to improve. I qualified for in state tuition and a few government grants. I enjoyed my classes and even landed an internship and co-op rotation. Now I'm about to finish my 8th year. I will have a great education and I already have a job lined up, but unfortunately my last 8 years have all been financed. My loans were used for tuition, fees, books, lodging, food, transportation, clothes, bills, etc. Everything! I have over six figures in student loan debt (both private and federal). My wife and I want to get rid of it ASAP, and we are going to be following Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover along with enormous faith in God in order to do it. I graduate this May, 2010 but we are starting the Total Money Makeover now, January 1. There is much more to come, along with more on how I got into this mess and how we plan to get out. I hope you'll follow along.