Julia Johnston

On costs:
"Money’s always been big with our daughter, so we told her she would get a certain amount each month as long as she was in college. Then she discovered that her new roommate was going to be receiving $100 a month more from her parents. We said we were happy for her roommate. Our daughter went out and got a job in order to keep up with the roommate."

On test stress:
"We took our son out for breakfast the morning of his ACT test. We wished him luck in the diner parking lot and waved good-bye as he pulled out in his car. He turned his head to wave back, crashed into three cars, and totaled his own car. We left his father there to deal with the aftermath while I drove him to the test site. We arrived on time, but he was obviously upset and his test score reflected that. Because he had already been admitted to the University of Iowa and wanted to go there, he did not retake the test."

On procrastination:
"Our son put off and put off and put off. Finally, we told him, ‘The Army, the Navy, and the Marines are all calling you. You are going somewhere in the fall after you graduate. It can be school or it can be the Army, Navy, or the Marines. But you are going somewhere.’"