Kids or Grandkids off to college 1st time - Read This!

[Libertarian01]

To All,

I have been attending college since 2005 and want to share with you one of the biggest ripoffs you will ever encounter: college book prices.

A new college book from the bookstore can run you anywhere from cheap $40 to a high of $300 for more advanced books.

Before anyone thinks I am against keeping up to date on information this is NOT true! I will wholeheartedly agree that the 300 or 400 level classes may be entirely on point when demanding that students purchase the "latest and greatest" works written. After all, we all want our professionals to understand the cutting edge of their field.

What I am talking about are the basic and intermediate level classes where the information does not have to be the most recent, but where we want students to understand the concept of what they are studying.

I am going to give several examples from my own personal experience to illustrate my gripe with academia today. I took an accounting 101 class, basic accounting, an introduction. The new book was $184! Why??? The basic principles of accounting have NOT CHANGED in 100 years! You have always had assets = debits + owners equity! You have always had "accounts payable" and "accounts receivable." So why was my local college pushing that I spend $184 on a topic that hasn't changed much?

My French class was about $150 for the book. Why? The French language hasn't changed in a very long time. The French actually try to preserve their culture and heritage by resisting changes to it! Personally I like the French for this. So why did I need to get a new book to study French?

I took a liberal arts math class. I will not be majoring in anything that requires advanced math like science, engineering, or mathematics. Why then $134 for the latest edition???

I would not make a post like this without offering you a solution that will save your family thousands of dollars over the course of 2 - 4 years!

First, buy online! I prefer Ebay as you avoid book stores! However Amazon and Half.com will work. I saved about $120 on my math book buying off of Ebay.

Here is what you have the darling student do: ASK the instructor / professor "Do you have a problem if I buy the last edition of the book?" For example, if the school is pushing / promoting the 8th edition ask if the 7th edition is OK! My math class was promoting the 7th edition. I bought the 6th edition. The only things they changed were some of the problems AND they switched chapters 9 & 11. So when the class was reading Ch #9 I read Ch #11. Later when the class was on Ch#11 I went back and read Ch #9. That was my big headache. $134 from the bookstore, $10 on Ebay + $5 S&H. I am willing to read out of order for $120, what about you?

Second, look around for the local generic used textbook store! I saved $30 on my accounting book here! My accounting class had started with a new, 1st Edition book. Damn! No older versions available... So I waited until the last minute when one became available at the used textbook store on North Anthony here in Fort Wayne. They wanted $154 from a student who sold hers because she had to drop the class. $184 in the college store v/s $154 at the used store. I'll take it!

Third, look around for other students posting books for sale at the campus! The local used bookstore only gives $5 for a book. A student can make a lot more than that taking the time and effort to simply post books for sale on the school billboards. I will be meeting a girl tomorrow to buy an Economics book for $30. I am guessing the book store wants $100 more than that! So I support a local student and save enough to buy another Mosin!!! I just love the feel of good carma, and the smell of surplus powder!

Fourth, find out if you need a book at all! My first year I had a great instructor, Amy, for Biology 101. It was a four hour class with lab. Amy was hell on notes! She wrote everything you needed to know on the board! Well over two (2) hours of notes each day and boy did my hand hurt! But, didn't need the book. Of course I didn't know that going in and spent $140 for a book that was opened twice during the entire semester. Lesson learned!

Fifth, use the school book store if you must... Your student may need the book to study and in the end this will give him/her what they need.

Here is simple math for you. I am attending Ivy Tech and will be transferring to Indiana Purdue at Fort Wayne. When I am done at Ivy Tech I will have an Associates in Business and about 60 hours that will transfer toward a double major bachelors at IPFW. As I have seen at Ivy Tech most two (2) year Associates Degree's require around 60 credit hours to graduate. 60 credit hours / 3 credit hours per class equals 20 classes. If you save ($50 per class) * 20 = $1,000.00. Considering that most people go on to a Bachelors degree the savings will be even more. $500 per year can certainly help pay some other bills.

I am certain that you can save more than $50 on most classes if you just shop on the internet!

If you cannot tell already I am really, really Pi$$*d at the colleges for pushing / promoting overly expensive, money wasting, student debt increasing, books on a populace that in its formative years. You wonder how students are financially irresponsible? Look no further than your local college book store! They cannot help but either start rich or go into debt for their education.

By the way, I would LOVE to hear from anyone working at a college! If you think I am out of line let me know where, cause I think I am sure on solid ground on this one!

Regards,

Doug

PS - Please let me know of any other ways you have found to save money going to school! I do enjoy learning!

 

[CountryBoy19]

Agreed.

I saved thousands of dollars in college by buying online. My best deal was probably a chem book. It actually was the latest edition and about $160 from the bookstore. I found it on ebay. The seller was some sort of charity, and the book was donated. They must've not known was it was worth because I got it for $15 +shipping.

 

[hornadylnl]

PS - Please let me know of any other ways you have found to save money going to school! I do enjoy learning!

I saved 10's if not 100's of thousands. I didn't go. It's sad that there are people who are "smart" who have mortgage size loans with no house. Pretty expensive piece of paper if you ask me. Most career fields need to be more of a tech school system. I work in industrial maintenance. My field is becoming increasingly automated. I would love to learn more about automation but I'm not taking a stupid lit or any other such bs class because a college says I have to.

If you own a business and have a production line shut down due to computer problem, do you really give a rat's rear end if your tech read Othelo or took a semester of golf?

Universities are designed to do nothing more than separate you from your money.

 

[Clif45]

I buy all my books though Amazon (prime). I saves about $200 over the follett bookstore, this semester. I only bought 5 books, for 7 classes. The 2 classes that I didnt buy for are my welding courses at Ivy Tech, and this is the 4th and 5th class I have used the same book and workbook. If I had to buy new books for welding that would be another 150 per class. The bookstores take advantage of students, and if you try to be prepared and buy early, you still get the shaft. My girlfriend bought all her nursing stuff through Purdue last semester, they gave her 2 wrong books and she was missing about 3 other things. The store did not have one book until 3 weeks after the course started. The entire class had no book. They get kinda mad when you go in and take the isbn numbers too, camera phones are great...

 

[mk2ja]

BIGWORDS.com FTW

I have literally saved hundreds of dollars shopping there instead of the campus bookstore. The "international" editions are the cheapest, but sometimes the content is a little different, so you have to be careful. Check with some shmuck who paid full price for the bookstore version to make sure you're answering the right questions before turning in your homework (learned that the hard way).

Oh, also, if you aren't sure if you'll actually use the book in class, you can just buy the book at the bookstore and keep the receipt. Full refund if returned within 14 days at my school. In the mean time, I find out if I'll need the book, and order online if so, then return the bookstore's copy.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Whoa..

You guys bought / buy books?

By my 4th and 5th years... I didn't buy anything until I KNEW I was going to use the book/s in class. Got too tired of buying, even used, and then never using it.

-J-

 

[thej27]

I was reading on another site that some professors make students buy books they have wrote to use for class at a bloated price. And then move chapters, change wording ect every year for a new edition to keep people from buying used books.

 

[mk2ja]

I was reading on another site that some professors make students buy books they have wrote to use for class at a bloated price. And then move chapters, change wording ect every year for a new edition to keep people from buying used books.

That wouldn't surprise me in some cases. But at my school, a few of my professors actually make deals with their publishers so that we can get the books cheap, or even free in one of my classes. I was pretty stoked about that.

My point is just that not all professors are like that. Some actually do teach because they love to teach and want their students to do well.

 

[Scutter01]

I was reading on another site that some professors make students buy books they have wrote to use for class at a bloated price. And then move chapters, change wording ect every year for a new edition to keep people from buying used books.

The problem is that small runs of these textbooks cost a LOT to produce, which drives the price up considerably. Couple that with the aforementioned minor changes (requiring a whole new book, of course) really makes the whole process a racket.

We should be demanding electronic versions of these same texts at hugely reduced costs. These days, most colleges and universities require the students to have a PC of some kind (some even specifically require a laptop). If they have to have a laptop anyway, why aren't their textbooks electronic?

 

[mk2ja]

We should be demanding electronic versions of these same texts at hugely reduced costs. These days, most colleges and universities require the students to have a PC of some kind (some even specifically require a laptop). If they have to have a laptop anyway, why aren't their textbooks electronic?

I agree. The one text I mentioned that the prof, who authored said text, worked out a deal to get it to us for free was in fact a digital copy. It was very handy because you could use the word-find feature to easily find the topic you needed. Although some times it is nice to have paper to read rather than reading off a screen, one can always print out the chapter he needs at the time.

Caleb

 

[Soundslikejosh]

The school's library normally has at least one copy of a textbook in circulation, and often another copy held in reserve. If you make the habit of studying in the library, you can always use the reserve copy. Also, you may be able to check out the circulation copy for an extended period of time. At IU, graduate students can check out books for the entire semester. If you are studying a very specific topic, its unlikely that you borrowing the book for the whole semester would bother anyone else.

Last suggestion, if you get on well with your roomates you could consider splitting the cost of books you both need.

 

[Indy317]

I was reading on another site that some professors make students buy books they have wrote to use for class at a bloated price. And then move chapters, change wording ect every year for a new edition to keep people from buying used books.

This all depends on the school. Years ago at IUPUI, I had some profs that wrote books for the classes. The books were only $30ish, and while they couldn't be re-sold, $30 was better than $110 for some book put out by a national publisher. I also know that some departments were using the same book for two years, or three or four courses (100 level classes, then 200 level classes), which helped to some extent. The worst offenders are those schools/profs who make deals with publishers to get those "kits." Usually a book with a CD or something they use. It has a one time use code, so you end up spending $70-$150 depending on the subject and you can't re-sell it or buy it used.

 

[Indy317]

The problem is that small runs of these textbooks cost a LOT to produce, which drives the price up considerably. Couple that with the aforementioned minor changes (requiring a whole new book, of course) really makes the whole process a racket.

We should be demanding electronic versions of these same texts at hugely reduced costs. These days, most colleges and universities require the students to have a PC of some kind (some even specifically require a laptop). If they have to have a laptop anyway, why aren't their textbooks electronic?

The same reason the classes aren't all on-line: Status quo. Textbook publishers want the money and a physically produced book would costs more than something on-line. Universities want to keep things the same, so instead of stopping all the crazy building and saving money, they continue to build more and more classrooms for old fashioned education.

 

[Accidental Discharge]

I go to a university that has textbook rental. Saves hundreds of dollars a year, if not a semester! We basically rent our books for a nominal fee from the bookstore and at the end of the semester we return them.

My textbooks cost....(All semesters are 15 credit hours except Fall '09 and Spring '10, which are 18.)

$179/ Spring '10
$149/Fall '09
$159/Spring '09
$149/Fall '08
$134/Spring '08

etc.. you get the idea.

If your college budget is tight, you could try and find a school that has textbook rentals rather than purchasing. I have probably saved the equivalent of around A SEMESTERS WORTH OF TUITION, over those who have had to buy books every semester.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

[SNIP]

We should be demanding electronic versions of these same texts at hugely reduced costs. These days, most colleges and universities require the students to have a PC of some kind (some even specifically require a laptop). If they have to have a laptop anyway, why aren't their textbooks electronic?

Scutter, I had a friend that attended Ball State that I talked to about this issue. He claimed that he was required for a few courses to not only buy electronic media, but a "package" for the course that included a book or wookbook in addition to a CD/DVD. He told me that he couldn't split the package for the CD/DVD even though he already had the book and workbook. Supposedly my friend had scoured the other sources (Ebay, etc.) for the electronic media items but couldn't find them. He was also in the bind that, as listed above, the Professor required the latest edition of the book.

I, personally, am all for putting the book online and not requiring a student to buy or rent an actual textbook unless they want to. But heck, I can't even get my son's middle school to use email!

 

[CSK22]

We have text book rental at purdue, and its a life saver.


But I've also made money some semesters by buying books online and then selling them back to the book stores.

 

[Indy317]

I go to a university that has textbook rental. Saves hundreds of dollars a year, if not a semester! We basically rent our books for a nominal fee from the bookstore and at the end of the semester we return them.

If your college budget is tight, you could try and find a school that has textbook rentals rather than purchasing. I have probably saved the equivalent of around A SEMESTERS WORTH OF TUITION, over those who have had to buy books every semester.

FYI: Indy's College Bookstore located off of W. 11th St. downtown is now advertising that they are renting textbooks. I am not sure if this is the first time they are doing this or not, but I have never noticed ads for this service before. They obviously serve IUPUI, but other school classes might use the same books.

 

[spartan933]

Try renting them. It's even cheaper.

 

[Armed & Christian]

Chegg.com textbook rental.

+1 to whoever recommended Bigwords.com

I literally saved thousands by using them. Also try
TextbookX.com
AddAll.com
BookFinder.com

You will probably find that bigwords will still get you the best price.

 

[Roadie]

The same reason the classes aren't all on-line: Status quo. Textbook publishers want the money and a physically produced book would costs more than something on-line. Universities want to keep things the same, so instead of stopping all the crazy building and saving money, they continue to build more and more classrooms for old fashioned education.

..and if they ARE online, you can't use a used access code so you HAVE to buy a new book, or new code. I did tech support for Pearson education and this was one of our biggest calls. They would buy a used book, and call for a code. They were usually mad that the code wasn't free. If you buy the book used, in some cases you can buy a new code, but it ends up costing as much as buying a new book.