It has always been one of my dearest pleasures to sip good German coffee while I watch the sunrise over my backyard. I have taken to checking my e-mail on my laptop at the kitchen table each morning since I have been home from Istanbul. Normally this is a very soothing process: sip some coffee, watch the changing sky over my evergreens, sip some more coffee, read an e-mail add from Harry and Davids, sip some coffee,etc. You get the picture.
However this morning there was an e-mail from Dan which sent my blood pressure through the roof. I had asked Dan for an accounting of the money he needs this semester for books. Having finished 56 credits at Pima Community College in Tucson (all his general ed requirements) he is in his first year of the architecture program at the University of Arizona. As I understand it, they accept 200 kids into the program for the first year, and the top 60 get to go on from there. So Dan is really feeling the pressure to do well this year. He is taking a full load of courses, which includes an art class and ARC 101 - which has a lab component and requires all kinds of supplies.
This is the part that makes me crazy... they gave him a book list of 40 books for ARC 101!!! 40 at a total cost of over $1700.00! This list includes a book which costs $151.00 which is in French! This is for one class, and 140 of these students will not make it into their second year. Needless to say, I told Dan to clarify this with his TA for the class, because I cannot believe that they actually want him to purchase 40 books for this one class. Meanwhile, with clear blue skies, the sun has broken over a still morning in Michigan. I am going to finish clearing out the flower beds in front of the house and plant some mums so we have some color out there. Then I plan on watching as much of the US Open as I can this afternoon, and try not to think about the crazy professors who have given my son a list of 40 books for one semester! :)
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