Of the many challenges facing college students, none can be more frustrating than the high cost of textbooks. After paying tuition, the last thing a student wants to see is an $800 bill from the campus bookstore for their required reading. Students and teachers have become creative in facing this challenge.
Students are increasingly looking to online discount book sellers to save money on their books. Campus bookstores typically post which books teachers will require before the semester, or students can contact professors directly, so they can comparison shop online. Many of these sites also buy back books at the end of the term, so students can usually find a way to get some of their money back.
Some teachers have decided to go text-less in their classes in order to alleviate the financial burden on their students. While this may not work for many subjects, some professors are getting creative with their text. In a class such as Technical Writing, the professor may find it more useful to find real world examples of writing instead of assigning pages of dry text for their students to read.
Book publishers continuously come out with new editions of textbooks. Sometimes, these editions will only have a few words or pages different than the previous one. But the cost difference can be astounding. It’s worth the time of both the teacher and student to investigate whether the added expense is really worth it for the newer edition, or if the old edition will work just fine.
A little research can save a lot of money. It’s worth students time to comparison shop between their campus bookstore and online book sellers, so they can get the best deal on their education. Professors should also be flexible and look for new ways to teach and at the same time, save their students a little money and stress.