Student loan irritation

I have a parent's Federal PLUS Loan with the ACS (formerly College Loan Corporation). I would like to start making an extra payment or two without changing the amount of my monthly automatic withdrawal. The web site that ACS does not say anything about extra payments. After contacting their help team via email twice, I get the idea that if I make my extra payment on a certain date, it will go in as "extra" - so today's the day. I log on to their web site. I can see my account details. I can see that there's a place that indicates the regular amount of my monthly payment I'm making to them. There's a slot for filling in a new amount - but once again, it's not clear that it's going to count as an extra payment. I only have the say-so of their help team. There's no indication on their web form about extra payments at all. They want me to put in my banking information again. There's no place to check "make an extra payment and use the bank info you have on file for me." Will the extra payment reduce the principal of the loan? Can't tell. Oh - and how long will it take me to pay off the loan at the current rate? Can't tell. If I make an extra payment, how will that affect the length of time it will take to pay off the loan? Can't tell. I guess I get to do the math? Totally annoying. I'll keep trying to track down enough info to make sure that I'd be doing an extra payment correctly, but I'm not up to tackling that today.

Part-time work for the New Year

I've got a part-time 8 week long reference/instruction librarian gig at Hillsborough Community College - Brandon campus starting next Monday. It's been over two years since I had a regular "show up at a certain place at a certain time" job. I'm excited about getting back to a face-to-face library setting though I'm already noticing some online meetings, workshops, etc. that I'll have to forgo since I'll be at work. We'll see how it goes! I'll also be teaching DETT 611 Library & Intellectual Property Issues in Distance Education and E-Learning for UMUC. I have been checking links, checking up on readings, etc. I wish I had some brilliant ideas for new assignments. I have a few more days for inspiration to strike.