The Cost Of College Textbooks

In college, there are a lot of different courses we can take. Such as math, English, speech. And a lot of courses we had to take. By different reasons from different students. Someone likes to graduate from college. And someone likes to transfer to other four-year university. And most of class relate to a textbook and/or other supplies. Therefore, for a college student who takes class had to have at least one book in each semester. So today I’m going to what is happening about out textbooks. And why it’s happening. And what actions can help us.

First of all, we all know the college text is very expensive. As U.S. PIRG Group in Feb 2, 2014 said, cost of college textbooks out of control. Here is a line graph we can know that from 1978 to 2015,

There’re 3 main causes to make the cost of college textbooks increase. 1st half of their costs go straight to publishers and university bookstores. 2nd new editions are constantly release, driving up prices, even there’re unnecessary. 3rd publisher will bundle textbooks with other materials such as CD-ROMS and study guides, which are not always used, and equally as expensive. Like my CD at the back of my math book. I never opened the seal. After that, let’s watch a video to see where’s our money gone. (video). It’s a commercial, but it’s a truth. Bookstores take 22%, and shipping cost 1%, and the biggest part is publishers. The publishers take 77% money from the book what you pay. And from the 77% of the money, they pay 32% for print the textbooks (such as employee salaries, materials, and machines,) and 15% for marketing, and 12% for authors. They are making $18 for each 100$ you pay. In addition, five companies publish nearly 80% of college textbooks on the market. Therefore, they can control the price of the college textbooks very easy. And once the reedit the textbook, even just move the question around, you had to get the newest editions. If you don’t, when the professor taking the question from book, you won’t know which question he’s talking about. And the addition charge for the other materials, whatever you use it or not, such as CDs, programs, or others. I would say that I never open the seal for my CD at the back of my math

Sure yes. Here is 5 different ways coming up. 1st borrow from your school library usually has the textbook you need. But there’re very limited. Who check it out first, then who get it. And some kind of textbooks has to be used in the library. 2nd way, you can swap your book on the internet. Once you done you cause, ask yourself, will your use it again? You probably won’t. so why don’t you let someone else use it? 3rd way, download an e-book not only can save your money, that can save papers, trees, and protect the earth. 4th rental, if you don’t want to use technology, or you want to taught paper more than your tablet, rent a paper book is a good way. Like the screenshot I just show you guys. Some of the books cost more than $100, but if you rent, you just had to pay for a quarter of the price for whole semester. The last one, I don’t recommend that, but in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is very usual. Most of student in HKUST don’t buy or rent any textbook. They just keep taking notes during class time. And after class, the professor will upload all of the homework problem on to the internet. Because most of textbooks that they are using are coming from America. Therefore, they are bearing the same problem that we