Idea for new law that should be made against college text book publishers!

[WeaponXAnimosity]

Textbook prices are part of the reason why I wish I was done with college already. Though a degree may help, the "it pays for itself" sentiment is BS because there will never be enough jobs for how many students graduate. I was in a class where one of the required textbooks was only used for 2 or so weeks. I was pissed off when I couldn't return it for my money back and had to sell it instead for like 1/4 of the price tag. That's why I always wait until the semester starts and review the syllabus. If a book is only being used for 2 weeks or less, I don't bother getting the book. I always scout out for an ebook or rental option since they are way cheaper. Or an older edition. With the way the economy is now, higher education institutions are trying to stay in business and so, they find every way to charge you.

[Linkedblade]

I gave the ISBN numbers in a earlier post.

EDIT: The problem isn't only this text book. This is a problem being exploited across the entire curriculum for nearly all books and subjects. It is a general problem steaming from a loop whole in legislation.

Creating laws regulating prices won't help. It's bad enough that the federal government gives subisidized loans that cause the price of tuition to go up. You don't need them meddling in the costs of books too.

[WeaponXAnimosity]

I"m confused, what 'loophole'... your class requires a particular book... your quarrel si with the professor... not with the system... and a 'law' wont fix a thing.

Drop the class and move on with your life... if you cant live without that class then go to another school... if that isn't an option then suck it up and pay for the book or dont pay for the book...

Either you never completed college or someone always paid for your expenses.

[Adam Jensen]

You morons saying text books are a scam clearly aren't very high in the class. You're underachievers.

The text book is the main source of information in the majority of classes, the teacher may teach some things in the classroom, but it is really just their explanation of wherever you currently are in the curriculum.

The cool thing about text books is that when you finish the class you can still learn more or go back to pages when you need them.

Of course the books are essential: that's WHY it's a scam to sell them at such a high price.

[Seranthor]

Either you never completed college or someone always paid for your expenses.

Actually, paid for ALL my books and graduated in 1993, My sole point is a 'law' isn't the solution, and that isn't going to change just to please you or the OP.

[sandmoth12]

Actually, paid for ALL my books and graduated in 1993, My sole point is a 'law' isn't the solution, and that isn't going to change just to please you or the OP.

We'll we are at odds then sir. I see a loophole and want new laws to close its exploitation, and you don't see it the same as I do.

[WarpKnight]

I'm studying computer science, my textbooks are expensive as hell too.

No way I'm actually going to pay for one of these overpriced rorts though...

[Lollis]

Welcome to the world where monopolies are legal.

[Wartide_ysera]

I'm a brazilian studying mechanical engineering and our federal colleges provide us with every single book we need. Really surprised you guys have to pay so much for your books.

[Deleted]

in my first year of college we was told we would need to buy this certain book as we would be using it a lot through the year, it was £50, but i bought it anyway, wanting to be a good student and thought if it helped with the class it might be worth it, but no, we used it once! literally one lesson we used it, and it was just info i could have used online!

[sandmoth12]

in my first year of college we was told we would need to buy this certain book as we would be using it a lot through the year, it was £50, but i bought it anyway, wanting to be a good student and thought if it helped with the class it might be worth it, but no, we used it once! literally one lesson we used it, and it was just info i could have used online!

Yeah I actually do the same with some classes. However, I have noticed that with any upper level math or physics class the book is your bible.

[Deleted]

Yeah I actually do the same with some classes. However, I have noticed that with any upper level math or physics class the book is your bible.

No it's not. The fact is that "the" book is often only put on the list for a biased reason. You might need it for homework assignments (the weirdest thing I've ever heard of for Uni) but just buy one copy between 4-10 and photo copy the relevant pages. You can photocopy the shit out of almost anything for educational purposes.

[Jarlathe]

Yeah I actually do the same with some classes. However, I have noticed that with any upper level math or physics class the book is your bible.

Wrong. My math textbook has been in my locker since September. I haven't used it once. All of our math review and homework is done online through our schools electronic blackboard. What we did need the book for was the for the online code to access mymathlab.com.

Out of all the books I bought for this past semester, the only two I use daily are my Autocad 2013 and Understanding Construction Drawings, other then those, I pissed away about $900 on books that I have never used. This time going through college isn't so pricey, when I took my network engineering degree back in 93, my books where about $1500 per semester, and we could only get them at the college book store. At least this time, amazon had every one of the books required.

***EDIT***

I forgot to mention. A lot of the math I had to re-learn this last semester( 20 years since I've used trig and calc), I went to https://www.khanacademy.org/ for the lessons.

[Kasierith]

Luckily, I don't have to pay for textbooks anymore. My professors just drop a few thousand pages of material on my desk and say have at it.

[Mormolyce]

I did an undergraduate degree in mathematics and astrophysics for 3 years, honours in maths for 1 year and 3 years of a PhD in maths. Never bought a single textbook. On the rare occasion I needed them (read: was forced to use them because I was assigned exercises directly from them) I borrowed them from the library or used other people's.

These days you should be able to get all this stuff online anyway. Legally or otherwise :P

[Deleted]

the grand total for that single book came to $310.65!

(o.O)

Whaaat?
How on earth can a single book, that you work through in 3 semesters' time, cost that much? I'm at college and my calculus book was expensive enough, it cost 1/10th of that. Cannot comprehend.
The whole college-soulbound book issue has me worried.. Do they teach you something specific at your college that I others do not teach? My guess is no, which leaves only one other reason to have such an approach. The reason is monopoly and is likely against the law.

[Kasierith]

(o.O)

Whaaat?
How on earth can a single book, that you work through in 3 semesters' time, cost that much? I'm at college and my calculus book was expensive enough, it cost 1/10th of that. Cannot comprehend.
The whole college-soulbound book issue has me worried.. Do they teach you something specific at your college that I others do not teach? My guess is no, which leaves only one other reason to have such an approach. The reason is monopoly and is likely against the law.

The most expensive book that my university expected me to pay was $820 dollars. 310 is fairly close to the high end for general sciences, but it isn't the most expensive out there.

Got a south pacific version of the reference book for 220, haven't used it for a class since except for some compounding lab information.

[cherb]

(o.O)

Whaaat?
How on earth can a single book, that you work through in 3 semesters' time, cost that much? I'm at college and my calculus book was expensive enough, it cost 1/10th of that. Cannot comprehend.
The whole college-soulbound book issue has me worried.. Do they teach you something specific at your college that I others do not teach? My guess is no, which leaves only one other reason to have such an approach. The reason is monopoly and is likely against the law.

They do it to make more money. I had a few books like this going through college and there isn't anything you can really do about it. I had a book that was over $300 that was written by the professor teaching the course you had the buy the book for. Couldn't pass the class without the book, couldn't find the book online.

[Deleted]

I bought one book ever. Cost me 30 euro. God bless photocopiers.

[Deleted]

I bought one book ever. Cost me 30 euro. God bless photocopiers.

If you were to copy all of the books it takes to go through college and university, you're going to be spending so much time that if you had spent that time working, you'd have made enough money to buy half of the books.

Also, I have to admit, I do like having the actual book. On a shelf. I genuinly hate reading in the heavy heavy huge books. They're horrible to hold.