tsugajunkie, It looks like you're reading very selectively, not picking up on any of my points. I don't know what the actual numbers are. Let me be very clear about that. What I do know for certain is that used textbooks is $0 to author. The author would make more money by selling electronic copies of their book because more people would buy it. Heck, maybe people would be willing to pay even more than a paper book for it because of the convenience of not having to go to bookstores and wait in line then return the book because the professor changed his mind at the last minute. treebarb, I understand the problem of losing a lot of our manufacturing jobs to other countries. But saying that we should continue to waste paper to protect jobs is like saying we shouldn't use home solar systems because if everyone made their own energy, the people that work at the power plant would be out of a job. Or its like saying we shouldn't try to keep people off drugs because if nobody was on drugs, the people that work in the rehab industry would be in the unemployment line. There is a clear solution here. Provide hard copies for students that prefer that. Everyone else can use rights-managed digital copies and kindle type things.

In school, I was quiet, never caused anyone any trouble and made good grades, altho I didn't particularly like school or study. My best friend...who I met over the summer before she started school in our little town...and we met because we both had horses, ended up being the most popular girl in school. She was well liked by everyone, had very nice parents and money...had 9 horses...and always a crowd of people at their place. Due to being friends with her, I was included in a lot more and dated a lot. We double dated all the time. My daughter was a lot like me, in that she was also quiet, no problems, and she made better grades than me... A+ in every class she took. The teachers loved her and she loved school. She didn't date but had a lot of friends...all the really nerdy geeky ones In high school she also dressed weird...and would go to thrift shops and buy the most hideous old clothes you can imagine. She went with the school to New York City one time, and wore an old black lace prom grown that was so old, it was turning purple, that she bought for a quarter at the Salvation Army, and a pair of combat boots to a Broadway play. She wore old polyeaster "old lady style" pants suits...1970's, and she would buy old 1960's hostess gowns to wear when they went out to plays, etc. I never said anything to her about the way she dressed, because she wasn't like a lot of kids today and showing body parts. I worried about when she went to college, but was surprised that when she started college, she went to jeans and same type of things that most of the other kids were wearing. She graduated with highest honors, so being weird for awhile never hurt her.

You know, mtn, this is what happens when you raise children to be strong and independent. They go ahead and leave you. ;) Naturally it's emotionally tough at first, even though we recognize on an intellectual level the value of the opportunity. My advice would be to keep a copy of her schedule and make yourself available when she is. I tried not to schedule anything during times I knew my kids were walking to class or to an activity, or had free time. I agree that it's better to speak with them when they have some privacy. There was typically a time a few days per week when their schedules diverged from their classmates' and I got to "walk" with them. That time changed every semester, and I was always happy to accommodate their schedules. So I guess in that regard, yes, I did "schedule" a time, but it was very organic and driven by their calendars. Her class/roommates will be receiving care packages, so even though you are nearby, it's always fun to get mail.

This is humorous looking back, but mean none-the-less. When I was about five, the plastic trolls with the wild hair were making their first go-around as a popular toy. We had some, and my brother was about 3. I told him they had magical powers, and they were my friends, and if he didn't do what I said, we would make him disappear and never bring him back. I went on to say that there was a witch in the car, same deal. And then I even went on to start in with magical incantations a couple of time if he wasn't scared enough. First my parents were frustrated as to why my brother suddenly became terrified of the Chevy station wagon, and no amount of logic could convince him otherwise. Because you see, only I could communicate with the witch, not Mom and Dad. Then, one bedtime, when Mom was trying to figure out why he was so upset and scared, he spilled all the beans. She stormed into my room, and was pretty darn upset, rightfully so. I was so focused on getting what I wanted from my little brother, I didn't think about how I was scaring him and making his life miserable, not to mention lying and taking unfair advantage of someone younger than me. Once it dawned on me, even at five, I felt horrible, horrible. And every time I think about that story, I want to go back in time and smack myself upside the head!