What's Your Beef?
I know everything college student will hear me when I say textbooks as wayyyyy overpriced! This is my freshman year of college and now I understand the running joke of college kids always being broke. My bank account took a huge hit after these two semesters.
Last semester I had 6 classes and all but 1 needed a book. So I spent nearly $400 on those. This semester I have 5 classes, it wasn't so bad only 3 classes needed books but my Media Writing class needed 2 *cough, cough* ( pause for awkward silence, as I am writing this for my media writing class and my professor will be reading this). But before things get too awkward I will say although I needed 4 textbooks I only spent about $370 because they were rent able and used so, it wasn't too bad.
If you do the math I spent about $770, give or take and keep in mind I work a part time minimum wage job. So, yes my credit card is still doing a lot of crying because of this. I completely understand that colleges are a business and want to make money but, when your already making lots of money on tuition, food, clothing, parking passes, etc couldn't something like books be somewhat cheaper?
Now I know what your going to say, why not rent an online version, rent a used one, sell it later, or even don't get them at all. Well, to answer those questions, not every book can be rented from the bookstore, or are used and I'll be honest I could find online versions but I hate reading things online, for me, I need to be looking at something physically in my hands to understand it, call me old fashion but its easier.
My complaining about these prices aren't lonesome, every classmate I've met has said the same thing. These prices are ridiculous. For example, this semester I'm taking Tv Studio Production that textbook to rent used was $186 and I got that online from the William Paterson bookstore.
My solution for these extreme prices is to first raise concerns to the SGA because they would know the best way go about getting this changed. From there whether it be positions, boycotts, whatever to get the principle of the school to hear our cries and lower the prices then so be it. To be quite honest to spend an extra $700 every school year isn't practical.
There are more solutions out there, while not all professors require a book maybe looking at the website rate my professor and see if course materials are mentioned. The only other solution have is trying to find the textbook in the Cheng Library, some professors will put one on hold for the class but there also might be another laying around in there.
Hopefully things will change and I won't be spending hundreds of dollars in my next three years but this was just a learning curve to college. Now I know that there's more solutions to these infamous expensive college books.
I know everything college student will hear me when I say textbooks as wayyyyy overpriced! This is my freshman year of college and now I understand the running joke of college kids always being broke. My bank account took a huge hit after these two semesters.
Last semester I had 6 classes and all but 1 needed a book. So I spent nearly $400 on those. This semester I have 5 classes, it wasn't so bad only 3 classes needed books but my Media Writing class needed 2 *cough, cough* ( pause for awkward silence, as I am writing this for my media writing class and my professor will be reading this). But before things get too awkward I will say although I needed 4 textbooks I only spent about $370 because they were rent able and used so, it wasn't too bad.
If you do the math I spent about $770, give or take and keep in mind I work a part time minimum wage job. So, yes my credit card is still doing a lot of crying because of this. I completely understand that colleges are a business and want to make money but, when your already making lots of money on tuition, food, clothing, parking passes, etc couldn't something like books be somewhat cheaper?
Now I know what your going to say, why not rent an online version, rent a used one, sell it later, or even don't get them at all. Well, to answer those questions, not every book can be rented from the bookstore, or are used and I'll be honest I could find online versions but I hate reading things online, for me, I need to be looking at something physically in my hands to understand it, call me old fashion but its easier.
My complaining about these prices aren't lonesome, every classmate I've met has said the same thing. These prices are ridiculous. For example, this semester I'm taking Tv Studio Production that textbook to rent used was $186 and I got that online from the William Paterson bookstore.
My solution for these extreme prices is to first raise concerns to the SGA because they would know the best way go about getting this changed. From there whether it be positions, boycotts, whatever to get the principle of the school to hear our cries and lower the prices then so be it. To be quite honest to spend an extra $700 every school year isn't practical.
There are more solutions out there, while not all professors require a book maybe looking at the website rate my professor and see if course materials are mentioned. The only other solution have is trying to find the textbook in the Cheng Library, some professors will put one on hold for the class but there also might be another laying around in there.
Hopefully things will change and I won't be spending hundreds of dollars in my next three years but this was just a learning curve to college. Now I know that there's more solutions to these infamous expensive college books.
good post ... just need a foto to go with it :)
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