Baylor Sucks

My apologies for this being a rant post, but I need to let off some steam and would rather do it here than transfer my anger towards my husband who is completely undeserving of it, especially in this instance. Also rather than do something I would regret in the future.

Here is a warning to anyone wanting to go to Baylor University for their higher education and requests financial aid. Don't ever move after you graduate. The accounting/financial aid department is apparently made up of morons who don't even BOTHER to send you a bill for their loan. They must expect borrowers to be psychic. They never once tried to contact me, instead sent my now defaulted loan to a collection agency who lo and behold had my phone number. Imagine that. So even though I've been making monthly payments on all of my student loans (that I knew about, that is), and even paid more each month than the amount due, I get a call from a collection agency wondering why I never made a payment.

At least the gentleman from the collection agency was kind and understanding and is helping me work out a plan to get this loan paid off. That is the one bright ending I see in my future. But I really don't need this crap right now, especially with the baby coming. I'm just so pissed off I'm steaming.

Now, I know someone is eventually going to say "Well, you signed an mpn to get those loans and the terms are clearly stated." Yes, that is true. I did. I did however expect to at least RECEIVE a bill so I knew how much I had to pay off each month. They apparently had an old address on file that goes back to the address I had before my previous address (2 apartments ago and over 2 years), but somehow the collection agency had my cell phone number which hasn't changed in the last 5 years. And did I ever receive a notification of that loan from Baylor when I lived at that address? NO! At least when I forget a payment with any of the other lenders (which happens from time to time when everything else is on auto-pay), they'd have the courtesy to call me and remind me of my obligation or at least MAIL ME A FREAKING BILL! Did they try to contact my references? Neither of my references have called me to let me know. In fact I just got off the phone with one of those references who informed me that she has not received anything from Baylor in over 3 years!

Another reason this pisses me off is that I loved Baylor. It was my first college experience and I made a lot of friends, one of whom introduced me to Sean. If I hadn't gone there, we probably would never have met. I have many fond memories of freshman dorm life and the campus was absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed most of my classes there and feel that my first taste of life away from home helped prepare me for the real world. I miss singing with the Concert Choir and spending my days practicing for my voice lessons. I refuse to let the morons in their accounting department ruin my memories, but it's difficult.

I've heard the expression that when it rains it pours....this is certainly true. First is the stress of preparing for the baby which, while a joyful expectation, is wreaking havoc with my hormones, then my mother has a stroke and brain tumor, then I find out about this loan crap. I realize that other people have been through much worse but I don't know how much more of this I can take. I sometimes wonder if I'm about to lose my mind!

*Lord,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The strength to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to hide the bodies know the difference.

*Sorry...that was my sad attempt at humor.