i have 3 separate loans that combined to be over $9000. the monthly payments add up to roughly $150 which isn't too bad. student loans have a long repayment period but if you are just now enrolling in school then i would suggest you get deferments so you're not spending all your time working to pay off the loans...
I finished my Bachelor's degree this spring. Apparently, even though my promisary note included a six month grace period, one of my lenders is trying to bill me for payments from this last May. I am following this up with my school's financial aid office tomorrow before attempting to deal with the lender's customer service department.