<p>This is clearly a generational gap that cannot be overcome.</p>
<p>From the student (child) perspective:
College is, theoretically, about independence in a physical, social, and intellectual sense. If my parents controlled the process, I’d lose some of that independence. Tracking down book numbers, looking at various course placement, and the like all are part of the college acclimation process. I never gave my parents my netid password to access course placement, BlackBoard, CAESAR, or email (all of which run on the same password), because I found that to be an invasion of my intellectual, and social, privacy.
Instead, my parents were always outcome-based. They always knew what courses I was taking, but only after I made those decisions on my own and let them know what I was doing and where I was at. If they thought I was overspending or taking the “wrong” class, they would throw their opinion out there. I didn’t have to follow their advice, but I did have to listen and publicly or privately figure out if they were right.</p>
<p>Another thing to throw out there: more than 1 NU student is concerned about the price of books. Few students are so fantastically well-off that $200 textbooks mean nothing. Freshmen, especially those in the same class, often work together to track down the best prices in stores or on websites. Especially given recent economic times, I would not discount the collective power and will of multiple NU students. </p>
<p>Again, I have little doubt that the larger issue of micromanaging v. parental involvement will not be reconciled. I just feel compelled to throw out the student’s perspective, since it is an important part of the equation.</p>