<p>Now I see a side benefit to making D1 pay for her own books…she shops very diligently for the best deal!</p>
<p>I had little to no choice in what sections of courses I took without completely jacking around the rest of my schedule, which I was not willing to do. At my school some professors will not tell you what book to get until the first day of class, and even when they tell you earlier it warns that the professor may change the book list at will. There is thankfully a lot more to a class than that. I have had professors who regularly forgot their lecture materials and even once canceled class because she wanted to go shopping, and I still learned a hell of a lot and was more than prepared to move up to the next level. Your D may just have to take some additional responsibility for herself and her own education this semester-- read the book, join study groups, listen to her classmates, peer edit papers, research. Or you may be overreacting and the professor is totally fine, stranger things have happened. </p>
<p>My dad lends me his debit card to pay for my books, but I find them all myself. We spent about $250 on over $500 worth of books, and half of them weren’t even used-- I was able to find new books within a few dollars of the used ones. I can’t stand it when books have tons of highlighting from previous owners, so that was an awesome find. I even got a $5 off coupon for mp3 downloads and got two CDs for free. :D</p>
<p>I’ve found that the ratings sites are fairly accurate, if you read the comments carefully.</p>
<p>Certainly if students said the professor I was considering “didn’t care” and “put no effort into the class,” but students in other sections of the same course didn’t say that, I would look for another professor.</p>
<p>You know-- picking a section of a class because two friends are in it may not be a “poor reason”. I realized this with my own D (still in HS)-- she has a hard time with math and chose to take a class with a less helpful teacher because her best friend is in it. I kept bugging her to change until she said-- “I always do better in classes where I have a friend.” I realized she’s right-- she’s quite shy and nervous and having the friend there makes her feel safer and thus better able to learn. College is such an overwhelming experience, your D may really be doing just the right thing for herself, by making sure she has friends in the class… Just a thought…</p>
<p>One of my kids no longer buys any books until after classes start. He’s never been stuck without a book, since there are so many discount sources for textbooks. He has been stuck too many times buying books that were never needed. This Professor may start off with handouts, or an online reading assignment. Since everyone in the class is in the same boat, not having the books immediately will not handicap your D.</p>
<p>Another one of my kid basically picked classes based on the time of day they were offered. He wouldn’t have cared if a Prof with 100% bad ratings taught, as long as he wasn’t asked to wake up for a class before noon. </p>
<p>Shrug and roll with it. It’s irritating, but not all that unusual. You might want to find out why your D selected a Prof with red flags. Perhaps she really didn’t have much of a choice depending on when a mandatory class was scheduled. Maybe she has heard some good things about the Prof from others. The Prof may be an easy grader, etc. If your D can’t express a good reason for taking this particular professor, D might benefit from a parental lecture.</p>
<p>Once when my son was a freshman, he was in his second semester and picking classes. I asked him why he picked one professor, I had checked him on Rate My Prof and he was supposed to be awful. He said, “I pick my classes by what I need, the times I need and the days I need, period”. He also added that a couple of badly rated professors really weren’t so bad, maybe those students didn’t do well or expected a lot more. He went on to say he was sure he wasn’t going to be able to pick his boss’s later either and he had to learn to work with anyone.
Lesson learned, he is in the class, I’m not and my “help” although well-meaning, wasn’t needed.
He did get a couple of lemons by senior year, but he said changing classes even then would have made things too complicated so he just rode it out.</p>
<p>As far as book buying, I can find more bargains than he can, so “help” in that area is welcome.</p>
<p>mythmom- I did not take offense. You are probably correct- it is over involvement with the process. The reason I do not think it is micromanaging is because my D is not aware of any of it. I keep it to myself- thus the private vent.
I wonder if it is unusual for parents to look up professors. Heck I look up the professors at schools she was accepted but decided not to attend.
As for giving her the cash to buy the books herself I just feel it is easier in case I have to prove how the 529 funds were spent that I just do it right from that account.</p>
<p>Deposit money in the student’s “my account” which is actually a debit card. Or establish a limited credit card used for school.</p>
<p>Longprime- can that card be limited for use on items that are allowed under a 529?</p>
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<p>I had no idea that the differences could be so great!</p>
<p>Tom1944–the beauty of CC is that it is a great place to rant. Better here than in front of the children. :)</p>
<p>“I wonder if it is unusual for parents to look up professors. Heck I look up the professors at schools she was accepted but decided not to attend.”</p>
<p>My parents definitely have no idea that ratemyprofessors even exists, and don’t know who my professors are, either. In fact I doubt if they retained what classes I am taking for more than a few minutes. However, they aren’t paying for anything but books. Maybe that’s the difference.</p>
<p>I didn’t look up any of my kid’s professors, but I know that such services exist on campus. I’d ask D how the prof looked on the rating service–always felt better if the ratings were good.</p>
<p>I am an information junkie. I research all kinds of things using all kinds of sources. I generally keep my opinion to myself. My wife, D and other relatives know that I do this and will ask me on occasion to give them feed back on something.</p>
<p>If you think I overdo college research you should have seen my research into dogs. Every time dogs are a category on Jeopardy I run the column.</p>
<p>Good. That’s how EVERYONE should be before they get a dog and you are one of few.</p>
<p>I am the same way about… oh, everything. 
If I weren’t I wouldn’t have gotten to go to college.</p>
<p>Twisted- I happen to own the world’s greatest dog. Even all the neighbors think so. They say he shames their dogs.</p>
<p>He is good-the Mr Rogers of the dog world. He is just a kind soul.</p>
<p>I think I first heard of RMP here on CC. I looked up a few profs. when S2 came back fr. orientation last summer with some probs. in his schedule and asked for my help since it was all new and confusing to him. He has since become a RMP disciple.</p>
<p>PackMom- I was just thinking US News should replace the Peer Rating with a score from RMP and call it Professor Assessment. It would just as accurate for their ratings.</p>
<p>I’m glad I didn’t offend anyone.</p>
<p>About buying bargains I totally concur. But here’s another way to look at it: Give a guy a fish and he eats for a night. Teach him how to fish … well you know the rest.</p>
<p>When the kids are on a budget they go out of their way to get bargains. I know mine did. And Amazon books are usually available alter too. Campus bookstores often have used books too, as do other kids.</p>
<p>But I concede that every family operates differently.</p>
<p>Glad you came here to vent. As much as you might like to say something to your DD, let it go. This is her issue to deal with, not yours (as you have said)…so vent away…that’s one good reason to post HERE instead of calling your kiddos ASAP.</p>
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<p>Gee, I hope I don’t have to prove anything. I take the money out of the 529 using the simple form provided for that purpose, put the money in the bank. Son looks up the bargains online, orders them with a credit card we keep for online purchases (not just 529 stuff).</p>
<p>So far no one has asked me to prove what the money is used for.</p>