Along with tuition rates that seem to increase each year, there has been no relief from book expenditures for classes. And the fast-paced quarterly system at Drexel makes it feel like you are buying new books every other month. Often, you buy a book that a professor insists is necessary, yet it barely gets used (sometimes not at all). Or you buy the 9th edition of a textbook for $130 only to learn that Amazon.com has the 8th edition for $10 and the two books are still identical.
In these tight economic times, a penny saved on books could be a penny used for other necessities. That is why new guidelines requiring full disclosure are being implemented to help alleviate the issues I described above, among other problems students face when buying class textbooks. According to an article posted by a website called The Nation, legislation has been passed which “requires publishers to disclose information like price, copyright dates of the previous three editions, revisions between a new edition and previous versions, and to differentiate between unbundled versions and versions that include unnecessary supplements like CD-roms and passcodes.” With information like this, students might be better equipped to know which books are necessary and alerted to options that save precious dollars.
It will be interesting to see if this process does in fact benefit students. It could just create a situation that drives publishers to find new ways to get students to buy unnecessary books and supplemental materials in their quest for profits. My prior military experience enables me to collect a stipend to cover the cost of books, so the less I spend on books the more money I can pocket.
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Dan…
I agree completely…the cost of textbooks is absolutely insane and, at often times, amusing. And, it’s even more irritating when I try to sell my textbooks back at the end of the term and the money that I receive is NOT EVEN CLOSE to what I paid originally. Oh, and, of course, the best is when professors become irritated when I haven’t bought the “required” text for their class. The handy library, of course, carries few course materials, which is of the utmost benefit.
Gotta love college, Airforce Dan…
Dan, I’m in complete agreement. I haven’t bought a textbook since the fall of my freshman year–and those books were all used through Facebook marketplace (a good resource if you are forced to buy specific Drexel editions).
For some classes (English courses in particular) it makes sense to have the text with you in class–often they’re novels you’ll enjoy rereading again. But a 350 page BLaw textbook? After 11 weeks I’ll never look at it again. Professors who single out students that use the on-reserve library copies are merely punishing resourceful students.
On the other hand, I understand their frustration with students who are simply unprepared. But I think overall, respect in the classroom should go both ways–we’re all adults, right? If I respect a professor enough to be on-time and prepared for every class, they should respect me enough to assume that I am. Never assume the worst in your students!
Furthermore, some of the best professors I’ve had at Drexel (not to name names, but Catudal and Stehr come to mind..) have supplied the text/information that is required for their classes. They make sure the emphasis is on learning, and that every student has the opportunity to excel in their course, even if it’s a matter of limited financial resources.
Wew.
Thought you might all find this debate interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/7/25/the-real-cost-of-college-textbooks