Isn't "university aged children" a bit of an oxymoron?

I would love to read a back and forth series of columns between Ms. Dobson and the "two oldest" so often mentioned here. What's their take on their education? Or on their mother's take?

PS - I'm a graduate student, still using a backpack. It's a lot better on the back and shoulders than a messenger bag as it's more efficient for carrying all those "nice to have" books back and forth from the library. You may be able to muster up a passing grade without the optional books, but for those interested in rising above C territory, they're pretty useful.

I'm with Angela wrt backpacks - they're much easier on your lower back than a messenger bag. As for optional books, though, I've never bought one (and my average is much better than a C). The only ones I've seen that are worth considering are solution manuals for math/science courses, and even then, there's usually a copy on reserve at the library.

Always buy older editions of textbooks to save money. The material is largely the same, but the cover and, perhaps, a few of the graphics will have changed--certainly not a substantive difference in editions. This is a classic publishing house money grab, P.S.

Take it for what it's worth (I'm a prof, by the way).

"University-aged children" ?
Time for a reality check: these are young adults.

Using old editions is a good tip, but a better one is to find and use International Editions. They've got the exact same content as the regular $175 books, except they're printed on thinner paper and have a soft cover. Oh, and they also cost about $20-$50 on eBay instead of $150-$175 at the bookstore. Reason they're not sold here is because they're intended for developing markets like India/China that the publishers wouldn't be able to extort like most of us students.

And keep the snark in that last sentence to yourself, Angela. Some of us (in UofT engineering, natch) manage 3.6 without the textbooks at all.

Get your kids to make friends with people in differetn years. Borrowing books, or even renting them is always better than buying, unless the book is worth holding onto.

Most schools also have facebook groups dedicated to buying books. Scan those: you'll find someone desperate to get rid of their $180 book for 40 bucks.

Gee, Matt. Thanks for letting me know that the UT engineering degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

books - buy second hand where you can; if you're looking for deals, check abebooks; there are often things available there. It helps to be organized, too. If you wait too long to do your shopping, all the used copies are gone. And if you're organized, you might be able to get away with using the library reserve copy.

I tend not to like many textbooks, so most of my syllabi are based on articles and book chapters. Students will need to go to the library every week, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Wow, thanks guys, these ideas sound great. I'm definitely going to check them out.

@Jeff: Great idea about Facebook.

@Matt: I'd never even heard of International Editions before, so thanks!

Oh, and I use a messenger bag. It's so much easier to keep off the floor and out of the way in crowded lecture halls. Especially in the winter when the floors are so yucky. A heavy book bag would be too bulky and in the way to hang on the back of a chair, and would get wet if I rested it on the floor.

Matt makes a good point about international editions, but there's a certain amount of risk involved. I've bought three in the past couple years, and two were perfectly legible. The third, however, was printed on extremely absorbant paper, and the print quality of most of the diagrams and figures was too low to be discernible. Basically, YMMV.

Gee Sophie, are you that condescending to the students in your classes? One of the nice things about the sciences is that you can use any book (or no book at all) as long as you get the correct information and cover the material. Granted, the book the prof is using is going to be guaranteed, but as a Computer Science student I've managed to do well in some of my classes just by going online. Yes, I've also pirated textbooks by downloading torrents of pdfs; so sue me, I don't have any money. Especially when it comes to computers, though, most of the information is freely available if you're willing to dig a little.

"Every year someone needs a book bag replaced. There's a hole in the bottom, one of the straps are ripped, or the zipper is stuck. Or the zipper has disappeared entirely. "

Seriously? You throw out a bag because the zipper has gone? Have you never learned to sew? Take it to a tailor and get it fixed for a few bucks, save yourself money and save another item from going to the dump.

As someone who went through grad school and ended up spending a fortune in chiropractic fees, forgo the ease of messenger bags and get a good backpack. Carrying heavy books on one side is just asking for back problems later in life.

I used the same bag each year at university. I got new books because it was easier than finding old ones and stressing out about missing key information. I never brought my textbooks to class; I just left them at home and brought my notebook. Easy on the back.

I also graduated first in my class and received a nice special medal. I must be super smart or something given Sophie's idea that we must all be burdened with 100 pounds of books while treking to the library 7 days a week. Hey Sophie, why so bitter? You seem to be the type who has to study long hours just to get acceptable grades in some useless subject - I'm thinking sociology or creative writing.

1) Used books are the best option for avoiding paying ridiculous sums for textbooks. Check if the content between editions has changed significantly. Usually it has not and an older edition is fine. Go early to get the best quality copies.
2) Sell your textbooks after finishing the year. I wish I'd sold more of mine.
3) Depending on the quality of the lecture notes the textbook may not be required. Always wait a few weeks if you're forced to buy brand new textbooks to see if they're really required.

The quantity or quality of one's textbooks has little to do with one's grades. One's grades have little to do with one's usefulness in a job (although possibly in research grades may be a good barometer).

Angela said "Isn't "university aged children" a bit of an oxymoron?" ... not if you're describing offspring. I am still my mother's "child" and she's 89 so that makes me her child and an adult at the same time.

And for the record, I am just glad I have no need to buy any school supplies any more whether pencil crayons or physics texts that took a wheelbarrow full of cash.

I recall that one of my math profs wrote the book that was used in his 3rd year class -- there was no getting around buying that one and it had to be the latest version if you wanted to get a decent mark.

No self-respecting university student wears a backpack!?!? I guess I don't respect myself..haha. A backpack is the definition of a student. Used one all 4 years. I love them. Not to mention they are better for your back than a messenger bag, which does not hold more than a notebook. As for saving money on text books, buy them used before school starts, or don't buy them. They are always on reserve.

I loathe clickers. We used them in my first year physics course. It was mostly a waste of time in the lectures because it disrupted the flow of the class, and it was a waste of money. Plus, it didn't really fit with my learning style. I like to let things sit in my head for a little bit before applying them rather than learn and apply in short order. All in all, not very good for me. I guess it helped the prof know if we were good on a topic or not though.

The thing that ticked me off most about textbooks in law school was that they were often nothing but a bunch of cases the prof had assembled for free and sold at a huge markup for his course. Had I only had a simple sheet with the case names and citations I could have looked them up myself for free! Poor law profs have to make money somehow!

I wish I would have sold all my textbooks immediately after my courses were finished. With very few exceptions I have never refered back to them. The exception being some quantitative methods and finance texts. The only book I sold that I now regret was Norton's Anthology of Verse. Doh!

LW,

Your point that a parent can refer to offspring of any age as their child is a valid one, but when Ms. Dobson uses the term "university-aged children" in this blog post, she does not appear to be referring to her own children but to all returning students. When Dobson writes that "the whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children," it appears to me that she is referring to students as a whole, not just her own children. Without a possessive pronoun in place to make the distinction, the phrase takes on the same patronizing and infantilizing tone that often rears its head in Dobson's blog. I maintain that this is a creepy and inappropriate turn of phrase.

Angela writes, Without a possessive pronoun in place to make the distinction, the phrase takes on the same patronizing and infantilizing tone that often rears its head in Dobson's blog.

I agree: the tone starts to sound a bit like your own.

Angela, Not to belabour the possessive pronouns but I took the sentence in context with the ones that followed.

"The whole back-to-school phase is completely different for university-aged children. I don't have to buy them indoor and outdoor shoes. I also don't have to write their names on the back of their jackets, or inside their lunch bags."

When she writes about "them" in the second sentence, she is referring to her university-aged children. At least that's how I read it. Maybe I am just not looking for "creepy" nor for picking apart every noun, pronoun and supposed nuance that Kathy writes about but for the issues and ideas that she's putting on the table for discussion (laced with a touch of humour).

I agree that university students are young adults but I believe this whole blog is about Kathy's childrens' academic journeys so it doesn't seem "creepy" or "inappropriate" to me at all.

I've been going to university for a few years now and it still feels weird not doing the usual back to school shopping like I did in elementary school and high school. I used to love shopping for new clothes, shoes and school supplies. Its not even fun now because I'm only shopping for huge expensive textbooks. And while I do usually buy them second hand it does add up. I'm also buying a new computer and i've been trying to find the cheapest price for Microsoft software.So far I've found this sweet deal for students at www.theultimatesteal.ca/mcmaster. My list for back to school now consists of supplies for my student house such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, paper towels and shampoo. I miss the days of being excited to go back to school shopping!

'Infantilizing' is the perfect word for this nonsense. My god, could it be any more boring. What exactly is the point? Ms. Dobson needs to get a life and let her children live theirs.