Author Topic: So it looks like the college textbook scam is still in effect. (Read 2298 times)

Rman · « **on:** March 11, 2009, 11:48:09 PM »

A friend of mine recently went back to school to pursue a graduate degree. He was mentioning how he spent 500 bucks on textbooks and it's already halfway through the semester and his professors still haven't used them. They rely mostly on printed handouts from older textbooks for supplementary reading. LOL.

I'd think that in this new ''wired'' age that textbook cartel would be challenged. I guess not.

BamYouHaveAids · « **Reply #1 on:** March 11, 2009, 11:50:48 PM »

I spent $400 on textbooks this semester and haven't opened one.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #2 on:** March 11, 2009, 11:54:13 PM »

I spent nearly $800 on books, although I do use them frequently. Still... $:-\$

Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:02:22 AM »

I photocopied all my required textbooks all throughout college. fuck da man.

EmCeeGrammar · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:02:33 AM »

Yes people who champion total free market capitalism are almost sociopaths. The healthcare and educational situation in America is a joke. Hopefully Obama brings us teh socialism

ch1nchilla · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:08:32 AM »

I spent about $300 this semester and I use all of them. Luckily, a bunch of them are novels and stuff that I'll probably be interested in keeping rather than selling back at the end of the year.

brawndolicious · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:56:15 AM »

I don't think I've ever had a "useless" textbook. In college. Most high school textbooks are horrible.

What major is your friend that he needs $500 in textbooks but won't need to use them?

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:58:29 AM »

Yup, then you try to re-sell them and the store says "oh i'm sorry, next semester the class uses the new edition. we can take the book back for $10 tho!"

Fuck that. I give all my text books to the Salvation Army, or a give them to students I know

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2009, 02:11:36 AM »

CDs

"contains free trial! download today"

I've never used those

Van Cruncheon · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2009, 02:22:22 AM »

WELL THESE ARE THE PRICES THE MARKET DETERMINED THROUGH SUPPLY AND DEMAND SO DEAL

etiolate · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2009, 03:55:57 AM »

Math professors at my school are trying to push for digital open source materials. It probably won't happen until I'm out of college though.

ch1nchilla · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:22:29 AM »

Amazon is a pretty bitchin' way to save money on books, especially novels and stuff you'll keep for longer than the duration of the class. I saved more money than all of my classmates AND I got the championship edition hardcovers of nearly everything (for cheaper!).

BobbyRobby · « **Reply #12 on:** March 12, 2009, 10:32:37 AM »

my school offered most power-point lectures available on their network which made textbooks almost completely useless for me. i stopped buying them my last two years. if you must buy them, buy/sell on amazon.

Quote from: Professor Prole on March 12, 2009, 02:22:22 AM

WELL THESE ARE THE PRICES THE MARKET DETERMINED THROUGH SUPPLY AND DEMAND SO DEAL

the problem here is with government-protected copyrights on information.

GilloD · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2009, 10:47:22 AM »

Torrents, yo.

Ganhyun · « **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:34:55 AM »

don't forget the whole: "We know alot of these students get financial aid where the GOVT pays for their books, so lets charge a rediculous amount because we know the GOVT is good for it" bit.

Eric P · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:49:38 AM »

everything bad can be tracked back to the government, don't you ever forget that.

Ganhyun · « **Reply #16 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:56:58 AM »

Quote from: Forgotten Ancient on March 12, 2009, 11:46:16 AM

Quote from: Ganhyun on March 12, 2009, 11:34:55 AM
don't forget the whole: "We know alot of these students get financial aid where the GOVT pays for their books, so lets charge a rediculous amount because we know the GOVT is good for it" bit.

So it's the government's fault for providing aid for higher learning? Is that really your argument?

No, its not just the government's fault. But that is a part of it. These companies know they can charge high amounts because students have to have the books and most students get book vouchers from the government to pay for books as well as tuition and such. And if a student doesn't need financial aid (not doesn't get it but needs it now), then its quite likely a high cost won't hurt him/her as much either.

Akala · « **Reply #17 on:** March 12, 2009, 11:59:59 AM »

I did half.com too. Most professors are cool with you using an older edition if you ask them.

AdmiralViscen · « **Reply #18 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:24:40 PM »

"Most" students get book vouchers?

Bloodwake · « **Reply #19 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:28:23 PM »

Don't even get me started. FUCK books.

AdmiralViscen · « **Reply #20 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:34:03 PM »

The only people I knew who had their books paid for were people in the ROTC. And only if they signed up for service after college.

Bloodwake · « **Reply #21 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:35:41 PM »

I go to a college for dirty poors and WE don't even have book vouchers. And they are just as expensive as anywhere else, although the professors are better at actually using the text in the classroom from what it sounds like in this thread.

Ganhyun · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2009, 12:46:22 PM »

Shit, sorry guys, forgot you aren't in GA, where HOPE and some Federal scholarships and grants give you book vouchers.

Well, looks like my idea got threw out the window

Bloodwake · « **Reply #23 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:30:14 PM »

Quote from: Ganhyun on March 12, 2009, 12:46:22 PM

Shit, sorry guys, forgot you aren't in GA, where HOPE and some Federal scholarships and grants give you book vouchers.

Well, looks like my idea got threw out the window

Fuck the state of Georgia.

Eric P · « **Reply #24 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:38:04 PM »

Quote from: Bloodwake on March 12, 2009, 01:30:14 PM

Quote from: Ganhyun on March 12, 2009, 12:46:22 PM
Shit, sorry guys, forgot you aren't in GA, where HOPE and some Federal scholarships and grants give you book vouchers.

Well, looks like my idea got threw out the window

Fuck the state of Georgia.

but Kevin Barnes is from there

archie4208 · « **Reply #25 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:43:45 PM »

Quote from: Ganhyun on March 12, 2009, 12:46:22 PM

Shit, sorry guys, forgot you aren't in GA, where HOPE and some Federal scholarships and grants give you book vouchers.

Well, looks like my idea got threw out the window

HOPE gives $150 for books. That might get you one book

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #26 on:** March 12, 2009, 01:53:48 PM »

I only use two of the 8 books I was supposed to buy. What a waste of money.

Ganhyun · « **Reply #27 on:** March 12, 2009, 04:10:10 PM »

Quote from: archie4208 on March 12, 2009, 01:43:45 PM

Quote from: Ganhyun on March 12, 2009, 12:46:22 PM
Shit, sorry guys, forgot you aren't in GA, where HOPE and some Federal scholarships and grants give you book vouchers.

Well, looks like my idea got threw out the window

HOPE gives $150 for books. That might get you one book

This is why I said and other scholarships and grants. And I got more than 150 for books from Hope back when I went. Maybe its changed now.

Quote from: Bloodwake on March 12, 2009, 01:30:14 PM

Fuck the state of Georgia.

Aww, poor Kentuckian. Hey, at least u guys do good in Basketball. And have that famous Derby.

xnikki118x · « **Reply #28 on:** March 13, 2009, 01:47:37 AM »

I used most of my books in college, never got a book voucher, and bought from amazon.com and other students mostly. I always used older editions if I could find them, except for my math books.

brawndolicious · « **Reply #29 on:** March 13, 2009, 01:51:46 AM »

A lot of science teachers require you to do online homework on the textbook's site. Usually you can buy the CD by itself though for about $15 bucks.

drew · « **Reply #30 on:** March 13, 2009, 03:04:03 AM »

thats the only benefit of art/design school. everything is online

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #31 on:** March 13, 2009, 07:41:16 AM »

Books are a racket. Nothing more.

In my major, we used our texts pretty extensively (engineering). We'd take a 200 intro course that requires a $160 textbook and wonder what the fuck was the point. Then we'd take the 300 and 400 level sequels and use the book for a couple of hours at least a day. Still, my asshole would get pounded every semester as despite re-using books, my totals would come out to be about $600. The book prices increase at ridiculous rates. One time a book was $125. Six months later, it moves up to $161. It wasn't a new edition either. Same book, both were new, but somehow, the price was jacked up $36.

In fact, in general, college is nothing more than a racket.

BobbyRobby · « **Reply #32 on:** March 13, 2009, 10:11:19 AM »

Quote from: Forgotten Ancient on March 13, 2009, 09:34:03 AM

Yup. Text books and tuition should both be "free" paid for by our taxes. The only limiting factor a person should have between getting an edcation is their willingness to do so. God damn want me some socialism.

considering how little i learned during my stay at college and how much i fucked around, i'd be extremely pissed if i was paying for other people's college educations. you'd just be subsidizing drunkeness. practically the only thing stopping you from an education is your willingness. go to a library. buy old textbooks for a few dollars.

ToxicAdam · « **Reply #33 on:** March 13, 2009, 11:14:35 AM »

I had a professor that published his own textbook and convinced (coerced?) his department into making it the mandatory text for the 101 class. Talk about a racket.

The fucker even visually checked to make sure you purchased one.

Flannel Boy · « **Reply #34 on:** March 13, 2009, 11:38:53 AM »

I've relied heavily on textbooks. And if I enjoyed a subject (not the case right now), I'd read beyond what was strictly required reading. After all, at least in theory, I was taking those classes to learn, not just obtain a decent grade.

Text books are often written by dozens of authors for a relatively small, but competitive, niche market. They're not going to make their money on volume--especially when university book stores, not unlike Willco's game stores, encourage the resale market. The used book market takes a lot of money away from the publishers, who don't receive anything on used book transactions, but is very profitable for the book stores and universities.

Quote from: Forgotten Ancient on March 13, 2009, 09:34:03 AM

Yup. Text books and tuition should both be "free" paid for by our taxes. The only limiting factor a person should have between getting an edcation is their willingness to do so. God damn want me some socialism.

Does ability not factor in here at all?

I think post-secondary education should be highly subsidized, but students should still have to pay some of their costs to encourage some accountability on their part.

archie4208 · « **Reply #35 on:** March 13, 2009, 11:43:32 AM »

Quote from: ToxicAdam on March 13, 2009, 11:14:35 AM

I had a professor that published his own textbook and convinced (coerced?) his department into making it the mandatory text for the 101 class. Talk about a racket.

The fucker even visually checked to make sure you purchased one.

I had an intro mass media prof do the same thing. We didn't even use the book once during the semester.

FlameOfCallandor · « **Reply #36 on:** March 13, 2009, 12:11:59 PM »

Dude, never buy the textbook until you know its needed to pass the tests.

brawndolicious · « **Reply #37 on:** March 14, 2009, 12:09:40 AM »

Quote from: Malek on March 13, 2009, 11:38:53 AM

Text books are often written by dozens of authors for a relatively small, but competitive, niche market. They're not going to make their money on volume--especially when university book stores, not unlike Willco's game stores, encourage the resale market. The used book market takes a lot of money away from the publishers, who don't receive anything on used book transactions, but is very profitable for the book stores and universities.

Usually textbooks have ghost writers and fact checkers actually writing it all up. I heard that legally, the only thing the "authors" have to do is read the book but it's common to forget that.

Actually, for one of the (new) editions of a history textbook in California middle schools, one of the authors is dead and the other one is like 90 years old in a nursing home. They call these 50 year old revisions Legacy textbooks but I'm guessing that that's discouraged a little on college level.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #38 on:** March 14, 2009, 01:43:18 AM »

Quote from: archie4208 on March 13, 2009, 11:43:32 AM

Quote from: ToxicAdam on March 13, 2009, 11:14:35 AM
I had a professor that published his own textbook and convinced (coerced?) his department into making it the mandatory text for the 101 class. Talk about a racket.

The fucker even visually checked to make sure you purchased one.

I had an intro mass media prof do the same thing. We didn't even use the book once during the semester.

My Critical thinking prof wrote the 200 page book for his class. $13.49. I was very pleased.

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Author Topic: So it looks like the college textbook scam is still in effect. (Read 2298 times)