The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
As the new semester begins and the students explore the campus, there is that one place students dread entering—the bookstore. Going to the bookstore means spending money and lots of it.
A recent survey by the Student Public Interest Research Groups (SPIRG) shows that seven out of 10 undergraduates who took the survey went without buying one or more textbooks because the price was too high. Analysis by the SPIRG also indicated that textbook prices have increased by 22 percent.
Whether students are taking 12 hours or 15 plus, books for each class are pricey. There are many times professors require several books for a course and don’t even use them all. Students have to empty their bank accounts or go without books because, frankly, they can’t afford them. It’s ridiculous to pay so much for a textbook and not use it or only use it once or twice, which has been the case for several of my own classes.
Then the school offers to buy back the book, which is a slap in the face because half the time they won’t buy your book back because a new edition is being released and when they do, they offer you a tenth of a fraction of the original price you paid in the first place.
There has to be a more affordable way to get students their needed textbooks for class.
Renesha Jackson, senior early childhood education major, is one student who has had to opt out of buying books due to cost.
“Because books are so expensive and the bookstore hardly ever has used copies, I usually don’t get all my textbooks,” she said. “I either copy the necessary pages or I go in with another student if the price is too high for my budget.”
While sharing books with other peers in class is a start, it proves problematic as well. It is difficult for students to set time aside during their busy schedules to track down the other student with whom they share texts, which results in incomplete assignments, failing to do the reading or not having enough study time for tests.
Bottom line, students can’t afford to spend $500 or more every semester for textbooks. Some of the texts aren’t even worth the price they are sold for. You can’t put a price on education, but enough is enough when it comes to raising the price of already expensive textbooks every semester.
It’s not just several students that feel this way when it comes to going bankrupt to purchase books, but it’s most of them.
There has got to be a solution to making the texts more affordable. If textbooks don’t become more affordable, it will affect the education of students.
For students looking to save big bucks on textbooks, look into purchasing the international edition of textbooks. Generally, the international edition of a textbook is little more than the paperback edition of the textbook with a different cover to deter potential buyers of the pricier, hardcover texts.
The latest edition of my Chemistry book (Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity, 9th Edition) is sold at the VSU Bookstore for $268.75 (new), $201.75 (used). The cost of purchasing a brand new International (paperback) Edition was $92.00. Valorebooks, the site I purchased from, also offered a semester-long rental of the book for $17.99.
My first exam grade for the class, most of whom had the $200 book?
A respectable 90, no curving or bonus points. Third highest score in class.
The three questions I missed were due to 1) silly, easily avoidable math mistakes, 2) putting the standard SI unit for weight as “gram” instead of “kilogram”, and 3) momentarily blanking out on a simple solubility rule.
I agree, there are ways to make them more affordable. The easiest way to combat price hikes is to go online and compare prices. There are tons of stores selling and renting textbooks online, and when theres more competition the consumer wins!
I tried to go without my textbook once in class and while I made friends with the person I was sharing with, when it came to studying for my midterm and final i REALLY wished I had my own copy. I’m not trying to spam or anything, but I use a site called http://www.bigwords.com for my textbooks this past semester. I saw them on campus and they gave us beer pong balls with their logo’s on it which I thought was funny. But they are a legit site and will find you the best price since they are a price comparison site. Regardless, nice helpful article. Book prices are just awful these days.
Ya’ll need to check out renting your books. After I checked prices for this fall semester at all the local bookstores, I ended up renting them at College Book Renter. I’m an OSHA major and was going to have to spend almost $800, rented them for less than $250.
Prices keep on soaring, I have decent budget for textbooks but I don’t just order new textbooks. Sometimes I rent but I still prefer buying used textbooks. My mom is pretty satisfied with my choice!