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So here I am ordering my books and as usual they're overpriced at the bookstore. Found two on Half.com for cheap. But then I get to another and it's almost $200. But lo and behold the international edition, which is paperback, is only $50. Now someone kindly tell me why the **** are we being ripped off with hardback books?
Why isn't something being done by this? The content of the books are exactly the same yet the difference in price is so big.
And the problem is that books keep going outdated which is even a bigger slap in the face to us students.
I paid full price for all my books for the first semester, from our schools bookstore. Never again (if I could help it). Half.com and amazon were my primary source for buying and selling. Amazon gives top dollar in my opinion, but only because it's an Amazon giftcard. The only thing that really gets me are the customized texts with one time use codes. The unedited version was cheaper and the prof had the audacity to tell us that she was saving us money by taking out a single chapter that couldn't be resold (and i'm sure she got a decent kick back from it as well). Still, this quarter I managed to spend $97.55 from the bookstore's $264.20. Hoped to do better but, eh.
Also, i'm not insinuating anything in particular, but some well worded google searches might bring up things you could use. Just sayin.
You can always rent your textbooks and do another good deed at the same time. Chegg.com: Rent Textbooks. Cheap Textbook Rentals for College - Return your book at the end of the semester you requested. You can also ask for extensions if you need more time and you can also buy the book. A tree is planted for every book you rent. Some restricts on marking the book for future users. Rent Textbooks | Cheap College Textbook Rentals | BookRenter.com - Rent you books for the semester and the company also donates books to disadvantaged youth who may not have access to books. No restrictions on marking the book.
I love renting my books. I am renting an accounting textbook and I just found out I will need the same book the next semester so I just go into my account and ask for another semester as an extension.
I went to college for a year before life took me to another state and major. That major eventually seemed pointless so I dropped out. I ended up going to to a CC in another state, then transferring into a four-year. While all of this college might seem pathetic to some, my point is that I am very well versed in "how to buy a college textbook".
I have given users of CD numerous posts on how to save money buying college textbooks; but many of you seem to be stubborn, thick-headed, and unwilling to accept my advice. There are legitmate ways to turn your $600 a semester book bill into less than $100. But, the same people that I offer this advice to continuously come back to moan about the same "textbook scam" time after time. I am done. I no longer care if you get ripped off, since the reality is that you are letting yourself get ripped off.
International edititions are cheaper because:
1. They are usually entirely in black and white, although you can find some with some color and others that are all color. You can ***** about the costs all you want, the reality is that the majority of American college kids want full color pictures, diagrams, graphs, etc. Color on every page boosts the price per book way up.
2. International Editions are almost always-if not always-soft cover. When given the option between hard-cover and soft-cover, American students generally choose hard-cover. So bother to print soft-cover?
3. International Editions generally do not, if ever, come with extras. No interactive CD or on-line access code. Even if you never use these-and in my opinion they always turn out to be junk-they still drive up the costs. Just like the other two examples, American college students like to buy textbooks with these extras...even if they never use them.
4. Local economy. It makes no sense for a US publisher to sell a textbook to France and charge US prices when textbooks in France are considerably less. They are not cars. If textbooks in France sell for $30 a pop, the IE from a US publisher selling a textbook in France has to sell for the same price in order to remain competitive.
Why hasn't anything been done about it? Because too many US college students and/or their parents still fork over the money no matter how much they ***** about it.
Talked to a teacher about it. They are only paid once on publication. To receive money later a second, third publication is needed. Often without a single difference. Ask the instructor before purchasing books, ask if a earlier publication applies.
I second skeet09's suggestion to try chegg.com and rent your textbooks. Unless you plan to keep a textbook forever, it's so much easier to just rent them - and it's all done online, so no physically waiting in line. And you mail them back in the same box they came in, using a prepaid label, they provide.
And the problem is that books keep going outdated which is even a bigger slap in the face to us students.
Why is it a 'slap to the students' that books are continually outdated?!? After all, the reason why the textbooks are outdated is because the knowledge within them is outdated. Knowledge isn't a static thing, it is continually evolving. The way you put it, the advancement of knowledge is some conspiracy of the universe against college students!
Why is it a 'slap to the students' that books are continually outdated?!? After all, the reason why the textbooks are outdated is because the knowledge within them is outdated. Knowledge isn't a static thing, it is continually evolving. The way you put it, the advancement of knowledge is some conspiracy of the universe against college students!
Well, there science, hard math and history texts where relevant information will always be changing.
But then for those of us stuck in remediation Hell, fundamental study texts shouldn't be all that different from what was being taught 5-10 years ago.
Talked to a teacher about it. They are only paid once on publication. To receive money later a second, third publication is needed. Often without a single difference. Ask the instructor before purchasing books, ask if a earlier publication applies.
I agree with checking with your instructor.
I always tell my students how many editions back they can go and still be able to follow what's going on in class (or whether or not they can use an international or online version). I also tell them to check the internet first before buying a text at our bookstore. Believe it or not, some faculty do try to take the students into consideration before adopting a textbook for a course.
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