polisigh needs an adventure
Congratulations!
You should be proud, indeed.
How I did it: I started small with a reduced monthly payment because my income after graduating school was not very much. Shortly after 9/11 I was laid off from my job and had to put the loan on economic hardship deferment for a year. When it was time to make payments again I was able to afford a higher monthly payment. I just paid my balance slowly over time every month. In the last few years as my salary has increased, I've made larger payments when I could. This last year I've had so much freelance work that I have been able to make large payments on it and really lower the balance, and today I finally wrote and sent out a final payment for the last few thousand.
Lessons & tips: Make a budget, and don't be irresponsible with credit cards and loan payments. I was very careful and responsible in my student years and I am now enjoying the freedom of being debt free and having excellent credit as an adult.