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  1. #1

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

    I bought my calculus book today that's going to last me for the next 3 semesters. However, the grand total for that single book came to $310.65! The book is actually going to cost more than the class.

    The problem is the book is a specific edition for my college. Which I find is stupid because calculus is nearly exactly the same in all colleges. The publishers and colleges are working together so students have to buy those exact books specific to the school. These books cannot be found online as they are only sold and the student book store, and you have to buy them brand new. To make matters even worse most colleges cycle their entire text book selection every 2 years. This keeps book cost high because there will not be a build up of old books.

    This should be stopped. Books should not be able to be made to a specific school (only under special circumstances). Text books should be generalized; there should be only 3 to 4 main stream text books for a specific topic at any one time. Lastly books should rotate out every 4-5 years not every 2 years.

  2. #2
    The Lightbringer Zethras's Avatar
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    I think if you buy an Ipad, you can buy most or all of your textbooks for like, 25 bucks a pop.

    It'll pay for itself in like, 3-4 classes.
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  3. #3
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    Sigh... I'm from Finland and we have the same problems. Book costs are so depressing.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by sandmoth12 View Post
    I bought my calculus book today that's going to last me for the next 3 semesters. However, the grand total for that single book came to $310.65! The book is actually going to cost more than the class.

    The problem is the book is a specific edition for my college. Which I find is stupid because calculus is nearly exactly the same in all colleges. The publishers and colleges are working together so students have to buy those exact books specific to the school. These books cannot be found online as they are only sold and the student book store, and you have to buy them brand new. To make matters even worse most colleges cycle their entire text book selection every 2 years. This keeps book cost high because there will not be a build up of old books.

    This should be stopped. Books should not be able to be made to a specific school (only under special circumstances). Text books should be generalized; there should be only 3 to 4 main stream text books for a specific topic at any one time. Lastly books should rotate out every 4-5 years not every 2 years.
    I suppose you could leave and matriculate somewhere else. As far as a law? I dont see that happening.

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  5. #5
    Deleted
    Complain to your university. Your students' union should be looking out for your interests, see what they have to say.

  6. #6
    Most of my text books published new editions of the book with the exact same information just colleges need to buy the whole set again.

  7. #7
    Let's see...

    Buy your textbook from a website like chegg or textbooks.com..
    Borrow a friends and/or split the cost..
    Buy them digitally..

    I pay about $80 a semester on books. I'd simply advise putting more time into finding the books instead of listening to the uni when they tell you that that's your only option.

    Also... if it becomes THAT much of an issue. There are unis that rent out their textbooks and refund the cost once you've turned them in at the end of the semester. The place I went my freshman and sophomore years did that. Tho they include the rental cost in tuition and then cut you like a grand check at the end of the semester.
    Mother nature is the world's best teacher. She gives you the test first and the lesson later.

  8. #8
    I agree completely here, however the rotation is needed for certain fields (Computer Science, etc.).

    I remember having to buy the VB6 book and C++ books for classes (back in 2002) that lasted me one semester, the books alone for just those two classes ran me $745.80. For all of my classes the total (just for that semester) came out to be $1218.60, and couldn't get any books used at the time (bookstore claimed that they didn't have any used copies). To top off the frustration, after that semester, I could have sold the books back to the bookstore, and got back a whopping $95 (after spending $1200 on books) for the like new books.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Velosite View Post
    Let's see...

    Buy your textbook from a website like chegg or textbooks.com..
    Borrow a friends and/or split the cost..
    Buy them digitally..

    I pay about $80 a semester on books. I'd simply advise putting more time into finding the books instead of listening to the uni when they tell you that that's your only option.

    Also... if it becomes THAT much of an issue. There are unis that rent out their textbooks and refund the cost once you've turned them in at the end of the semester. The place I went my freshman and sophomore years did that. Tho they include the rental cost in tuition and then cut you like a grand check at the end of the semester.
    As I said, these books are specific to my college. You cannot buy them anywhere else besides my college bookstore.

  10. #10
    I'm a senior level math major and my books aren't that expensive. However, as you mentioned your is a special edition meaning it was probably written by a professor at your school or is in bed with the school.

    I agree if you have a laptop/tablet you can always invest in ebooks, or whatever similar digital medium. Amazon normally always has a better price than Efollet or whoever your school has as a distributer. Which reminds me it's not the Publisher's fault it's the school store's fault.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by thevolget View Post
    I agree completely here, however the rotation is needed for certain fields (Computer Science, etc.).

    I remember having to buy the VB6 book and C++ books for classes (back in 2002) that lasted me one semester, the books alone for just those two classes ran me $745.80. For all of my classes the total (just for that semester) came out to be $1218.60, and couldn't get any books used at the time (bookstore claimed that they didn't have any used copies). To top off the frustration, after that semester, I could have sold the books back to the bookstore, and got back a whopping $95 (after spending $1200 on books) for the like new books.
    Yes I agree that certain fields advance faster than others, and need to have faster book rotation. However, calculus has been the same for 200+ years. And still books should not be able to be made school specific unless there are very special circumstances that require so.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by sandmoth12 View Post
    As I said, these books are specific to my college. You cannot buy them anywhere else besides my college bookstore.
    What's the ISBN-10 or ISBN-13?

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Linkedblade View Post
    I'm a senior level math major and my books aren't that expensive. However, as you mentioned your is a special edition meaning it was probably written by a professor at your school or is in bed with the school.

    I agree if you have a laptop/tablet you can always invest in ebooks, or whatever similar digital medium. Amazon normally always has a better price than Efollet or whoever your school has as a distributer. Which reminds me it's not the Publisher's fault it's the school store's fault.
    A decent laptop or tablet is pretty expensive, and it is illegal to down load books that way even though everyone still does it.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-02 at 04:31 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Linkedblade View Post
    What's the ISBN-10 or ISBN-13?
    The CRN is 31412

    EDIT: Ah okay I found the ISNB-10 and 13

    ISBN -10: 1-256-73838-7

    ISBN -13: 978-1-256-738738-1
    Last edited by sandmoth12; 2013-01-03 at 12:34 AM.

  14. #14
    Deleted
    4 degrees 2 of which are masters and I've never bought a textbook in my life.

    Learn to use a library, and make use of papers and journals, textbooks are really only for a very basic summary of most things.

  15. #15
    Ah, welcome to the great custom-edition-for-your-college scam. If your prof doesn't collect homework, return that shit for a full refund. All the info you need can be found online without much trouble, calculus hasn't changed much over the decades to warrant a new edition with a new picture of a butterfly on page 56 for $300.
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    can you leftist twits just fucking admit that quantum mechanics has fuck all to do with thermodynamics, that shit is just a pose?

  16. #16
    Those prices are indeed scandalous here in the UK the book cost for my chemistry degree was around £200-300 a year, and that was if you were buying brand new. Always plenty of good used copies on amazon. Each year would see around 4-6 books needed if i had to pay those prices id be raging for sure.

    As someone said speak to your student union or whatever similar organisation you guys have in the USA and raise the issue to have it tackled, those activist guys are pretty good with student problems like that I found.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-03 at 12:35 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by tlacoatl View Post
    4 degrees 2 of which are masters and I've never bought a textbook in my life.

    Learn to use a library, and make use of papers and journals, textbooks are really only for a very basic summary of most things.
    Whilst that may indeed be possible, that's a hell of a lot of time to be spent in the library. Whilst it may have worked for you it's an impossibility for some. The hours I spent going through my text books learning and memorizing reactions and processes, I would hate to have no choice but the library for that.

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by sandmoth12 View Post
    The CRN is 31412

    that sounds like a course registration number; they're asking for the book International Standard Book Number, which is an identification number.
    Unless the book was printed by your school's copy services, it should have a separate ISBN.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by jaykaywhy View Post
    that sounds like a course registration number; they're asking for the book International Standard Book Number, which is an identification number.
    Unless the book was printed by your school's copy services, it should have a separate ISBN.
    Yes, you're right. I have already corrected it.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    i had to buy a book of 150 euros, written by the professor who i follow politics class. The book is written 25 years ago, no single addition text added since then (we have to print the additions= approx 175 pages). And we only need to study 4 chapters out of 13.

    Most price I've paid was 225 euros , discount included ffs.

    I mean, i can take out a list and see ridiculous prices just to guarantee that when the professors go on retirement, they go in style with a Porsche and a mansion at the sea.

    We can't even buy second hand books because it is against their policy of education, WTF.


    edit; I wish we ran with ebooks >>
    Last edited by mmoc058e0f1fe5; 2013-01-03 at 12:42 AM.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by sandmoth12 View Post
    A decent laptop or tablet is pretty expensive, and it is illegal to down load books that way even though everyone still does it.

    ---------- Post added 2013-01-02 at 04:31 PM ----------



    The CRN is 31412

    EDIT: Ah okay I found the ISNB-10 and 13

    ISBN -10: 1-256-73838-7

    ISBN -13: 978-1-256-738738-1
    No purchasing ebooks or digital books is perfectly legal. (((Pirating them/downloading for free may be if you print it))) Yeah a quick google shows this book isnt on the internet anywhere especially at store sites. So, that means it's published and created specifically for your school. It's a shame really.

    Normally I would say wait for class to begin to see how the book is used in class. The problem is it's for multiple classes. =/

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