We've got the book buying blues
Issue date: 8/28/09 Section: Opinion
With the start of the fall semester upon us at Western, students are scampering all over campus to purchase their books.
While glancing in the bookstores, students are finding a disturbing trend. Books are too expensive. The WC recognizes that many students have complained about the cost of books in previous years, however, with the unstable state of the economy, and the increasing difficulty in obtaining loans and grants, the cost of books is becoming burdensome.
Although there have been recent reports from the Federal Reserve that the economy is beginning to improve, the effects are still being felt from rougher economic times.
Some students are spending four to five hundred dollars on books, which is an excessive amount considering the recent rise in fees at the university. Students must learn, but they also have other expenses that must be covered. Room and board and tuition only add to the overall cost of attending this university.
The price can seem even more troublesome considering how little some books are actually used in the classroom. Several classes that require you to buy books don't often use them. Most of the content is presented via overhead projectors or through Western Online.
In addition to other resources that professors use, the books are constantly being reprinted in new editions. Not only do the new editions cost more, they also prevent students from selling their books back. This is a problem that most students face every semester.
Not only is buying textbooks stressful, but also the sell back process is a joke. Many students spend over $100 for an individual book and only get $30 to $40 back - and often less.
The WC recognizes that there are funds available for students through financial aid. The problem with financial aid is that it doesn't always cover the cost of books. So, many times the student may have all other costs covered and not have enough for books. And don't forget some courses require more than one book.
The WC believes new technologies could provide an alternative to the excessive price of most textbooks. Perhaps professors should use the online system more to prevent students from spending their last dollars on these debt-causing paperbacks. If the age of technology is growing, so too should the number of professors that use it.
Get creative with the way you present your course and make it more affordable for the student. We are here to learn about history, accounting and things of that nature, but it seems that students are learning more about debt.
While glancing in the bookstores, students are finding a disturbing trend. Books are too expensive. The WC recognizes that many students have complained about the cost of books in previous years, however, with the unstable state of the economy, and the increasing difficulty in obtaining loans and grants, the cost of books is becoming burdensome.
Although there have been recent reports from the Federal Reserve that the economy is beginning to improve, the effects are still being felt from rougher economic times.
Some students are spending four to five hundred dollars on books, which is an excessive amount considering the recent rise in fees at the university. Students must learn, but they also have other expenses that must be covered. Room and board and tuition only add to the overall cost of attending this university.
The price can seem even more troublesome considering how little some books are actually used in the classroom. Several classes that require you to buy books don't often use them. Most of the content is presented via overhead projectors or through Western Online.
In addition to other resources that professors use, the books are constantly being reprinted in new editions. Not only do the new editions cost more, they also prevent students from selling their books back. This is a problem that most students face every semester.
Not only is buying textbooks stressful, but also the sell back process is a joke. Many students spend over $100 for an individual book and only get $30 to $40 back - and often less.
The WC recognizes that there are funds available for students through financial aid. The problem with financial aid is that it doesn't always cover the cost of books. So, many times the student may have all other costs covered and not have enough for books. And don't forget some courses require more than one book.
The WC believes new technologies could provide an alternative to the excessive price of most textbooks. Perhaps professors should use the online system more to prevent students from spending their last dollars on these debt-causing paperbacks. If the age of technology is growing, so too should the number of professors that use it.
Get creative with the way you present your course and make it more affordable for the student. We are here to learn about history, accounting and things of that nature, but it seems that students are learning more about debt.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
cynthia
posted 8/28/09 @ 9:12 PM CST
people need to realize there are lots of places on the internet to order their books and stop buying them locally. I buy all mine through a webisite called bigwords. (Continued…)
Nick Maurus
posted 8/31/09 @ 12:24 PM CST
Another problem is this: Why do new editions constantly come out? Take a physics class for example, the laws have physics are concrete and have not changed. (Continued…)
AJD
posted 9/01/09 @ 1:57 PM CST
I too have never understood why the cost of college textbooks are so high. Even when I was in college in the mid to late 90's, I spent about $400 a semester on books, and that was before there were all the online options for buying them so I was stuck getting them from the college bookstore. (Continued…)
AJD
posted 9/01/09 @ 2:02 PM CST
I wanted to add, an alternative idea to buying textbooks would be to create a system for at least core classes that use the same book year after year, to have a rent system. (Continued…)
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