It is getting close to that time of year when classes are winding down and cramming for finals has begun. It is also getting close to that time when we sell our books to the bookstore or Aida’s for about a quarter of the price, sometimes for no value at all. And a lot of the time, you never really even needed the book in the first place. So I ask you, why do we even buy books?
The way I see it, books are a peace of mind. We purchase a book, sometimes two or three for a class and we hardly even open the darn thing. Most of the time in class, you have to take notes and the professors base the exams from the notes. That is because it is what you have been learning in class the whole time. Sometimes, you really do need the class texts and that is why it is a piece of mind. But ask yourself: How often have you opened the book in class, or used it for an assignment? Is it worth paying $80 for using it two times in a semester?
Of course, bookstores love the fact that we buy books from them because they make so much money off of us. When we do purchase books we always get the previous year’s edition, making it worthless for next year, which means students get absolutely no money back. Sounds like a pretty good deal for the bookstores. Nothing sounds worse than paying $150 for a biology book and getting no money back from it.
There needs to be a way to solve the problem and I think I have a partial solution to it. One way is to buy the least expensive books. Purchase used books if you can, the cheaper the better. If it is a class where books cost between $15 and $30, then by all means, purchase it. You won’t get much back but at least you did not pay an atrocious amount. But if you have a class where the books cost around $100, ask yourself if you really need them. Are they new? Used? Will the edition be revised in a year and you know you will inevitably not get any money back?
If the newest edition carries on to the next year and you think you will really need it, then bite the bullet and purchase it. At least you will get something in return. The best way is to visit www.ratemyprofessors.com and find out if your professor is a heavy note person or book person. If it is a class that is heavy on notes, then take a chance and don’t purchase the book. You’ll never use it anyway.
If books were cheaper, then there would not be a problem. Unfortunately, they are usually around $100 for a new book that can be returned for a quarter of the price. If you are filthy rich and do not care about book prices and the economics involved, then you have wasted your time reading this article. But if you, like most college students, are on a budget trying to make the most out of your dollar, just think logically. Do you really need the book? How much will you pay for peace of mind?
Daniel Macri is a junior film major and a weekly columnist for the Daily Forty-Niner.
