Money College: One student's losing battle with private student loans

I will try my hardest to not make this piece a "woe is me" story and more on the dangers of taking out private loans (or any student loans for that matter).

I would first like to clarify that I come from a financially unstable household. I was the first person in my family to go to college, I am an immigrant, and my parents did not put aside money for me to go to college. I went to a private university, and besides Stafford loans, I took out private loans from Sallie Mae. I could not get a co-signer, as no one in my family has good credit, and in hindsight, I should have probably gone to a cheaper college or a community college (and gotten a degree in something other than English).