he beginning of
a new semester
can be exciting,
but for many of
us a better word
is expensive.
Depending on
where a you buy
your college
text books the
prices can be
outrageous. Many
of us have a
difficult time
getting the
required texts
at a decent
price. If you
want to pay $5
instead of
$149.80 on an
advertising book
next semester,
then keep
reading!
Amanda Barone, a
junior at The
College of Saint
Rose, paid over
$500 at the
campus book
store on her
fall semester
classes. She is
an accounting
major and had to
buy math and
business books
as well as a new
edition of a
science book and
a lab book to go
with it which
cost her. Barone
is thankful that
her parents pay
for her books
each semester
because she
would have no
way of paying
for them
herself. The
science and lab
book raised the
price of her
books this
semester but she
believes her
parents spend an
average of $400
a semester.
Another junior
at The College
of Saint Rose,
who plans on
becoming a
kindergarten
teacher, Vicky
Spath also
shopped at the
campus book
store. She only
paid a little
over $200 for
her education
books, but it’s
still difficult
to pay for
especially when
you have other
expenses to
worry about.
Both of the
girls, Barone
and Spath used
the traditional
way of buying
books. They
believe it’s
easier to walk
into the
bookstore pick
out the books
they need and
buy them in
person. Neither
Barone nor Spath
ever thought
about ordering
their books
online. They
didn’t want to
worry about when
the books would
arrive through
the mail. Buying
college text
books online is
a good
alternative to
buying them from
a college
bookstore. Doing
so may be very
cost efficient.
Engineering
major, Patrick
Lee, also a
junior from The
College of Saint
Rose benefited
by shopping
online. He
bought all of
his books in
time for his
fall classes at
affordable
prices. Lee paid
less than $200
for his five
textbooks which
would have cost
him well over
that price at
the bookstore
and they were
sent right to is
house.
Going to the
campus bookstore
is an easy and
quick way of
getting books it
is not always
cost effective.
If you want to
save money you
should check out
every option
available.
Online is a
great source of
buying and
researching the
prices of
college text
books.
One
website that is
very helpful in
finding book
prices online is
called
campusbooks.com.
At this website,
an advertising
book,
Advertising
Principles and
Practices
Seventh Edition
by Wells
Moriarty and
Burnett, is
listed at
$149.80. The
site also gives
the browser many
comparisons of
the price at
different
locations. The
prices range
from $58.30 to
$149.77 for a
used book and
$61.44 and
$149.80 for a
new book.
For
a new book one
of the best
sites to buy
this specific
text is
BookByte.com at
$61.44. For a
used book it
would be
abebooks.com at
$58.30. These
costs include
shipping and are
promised to
arrive within
two to three
days. If a
student has
difficulty with
computers, there
are more options
for buying text
books.
Used
book stores such
as Mary Jane
Books, are also
a great place to
shop. Mary Jane
Books is located
on Western
Avenue and is in
walking distance
of the Saint
Rose campus. The
store is
operated by SUNY
graduates who
know the
difficulties of
buying books.
They carry texts
according to
class offerings
and professor
orders, but can
get books from
online. They
take most of
their orders
from The
University of
Albany and HVCC.
The advertising
book mentioned
earlier in the
story was found
at Mary Jane
Books for only
$5. Shipping is
only $4 if a
patron decides
to have it
shipped to their
house. This is a
very cost
effective way to
buy text books.
Mary Jane
bookstore has
also begun to
deliver books
right to your
house! Not only
is it cheap, but
it’s convenient.
So
who is to blame
for the high
prices of
college
textbooks? Some
teachers at The
College of Saint
Rose say it’s
not them and
that they are
very price
conscious when
choosing a text
for their
classes.
Contemporary
Advertising
teacher at the
college Henry
Skoburn says he
is very
concerned about
the constant
increases of the
books each year.
Because he is an
adjunct it is
hard for him to
make his own
text choices. He
does believe
that some kind
of reading
material is
important to
have for class.
An
adjunct teaching
Principles of
Marketing at
Saint Rose, Carl
J. Cusano says
he has little
say in what
texts are
selected. He
trusts the
judgments of the
fulltime
professors and
the dean of his
department with
that task. When
he does have to
make decisions
he researches
the text and
supporting
materials as
thoroughly as
possible. He
says that cost
does not play a
big factor in
his decision but
it is a
consideration.
He tries to keep
the required
material to $200
or less.
When
choosing
textbooks
another
professor in the
communications
department of
the school, Mary
Alice Molgard
looks at many
different things
to help her make
selections. She
looks at
catalogs,
recommendations
from reputable
sources in the
field and what’s
available. She
tries to match
texts with the
most significant
components of
the course so
not a lot of
material is
wasted. One
thing she
doesn’t look at
as much is cost.
If she realizes
that a text is
very expensive
she may rethink
her decision.
She also
explains that
when teaching in
a specialty area
there is not a
lot of room to
price shop.
Chair of the
Communications
Department Fred
Antico considers
content,
timeliness and
price when
choosing texts
for his classes.
He likes to find
books that have
content close to
that of his
course. He also
likes texts that
are up to date.
Antico dislikes
when publishers
put out new
editions that
show little more
than a new
picture or
sidebars. He
believes this
drives up prices
unnecessarily.
Antico also
writes his own
books for his
production
classes. He
believes that
some texts
available for
this information
are not
effective for
his students. He
thinks there is
a lot of
information in
the books he
would never use
in class. He
says that the
books that he
writes are
relevant to his
courses. They
also contain
plain text and
step-by-step
tutorials to
help students
learn, which
mass-audience
texts can’t do.
But
do teachers who
write these
texts make a
profit? Antico
says that his
only goal for
his books is to
provide an
effective
alternative to
more costly
texts. As of
right now his
workbooks sell
for a third of
what a
traditional text
for the course
would cost. He
is currently
involved in a
project that
will allow his
workbook content
to be available
online free to
his students. By
the Fall of
2007, next
semester, he
hopes to have
all of his
instructional
content free to
students online.
The
Saint Rose
bookstore also
says they are
price conscious.
Text book
manager Bob
Buckley says
that the
bookstore orders
books from
wherever they
can get them
cheapest.
Buckley says
that they carry
a lot of used
books to try and
cut down on
prices. Used
books are priced
25 percent less
than new books.
After receiving
books back from
students and
getting orders
from the
professors they
find out how
many new books
they have to
order and then
go to the
publishers.
When
a student sells
a book back, if
the professor
ordered the same
text a student
can receive up
to 50 percent
back from what
they originally
paid. If the
text is not
ordered again a
student will
receive money
back based on
market value and
demand. If you
can’t afford
texts Buckley
says students
can get book
vouchers free
with financial
aid. Students
can also help
pay for their
books through
student loans.
Although the
school year is
coming to an end
and you are
getting ready
for summer, next
Fall semester is
right around the
corner. If you
want to save
some money on
your text books
next year check
out all your
options. Don’t
forget to try to
try and get
money back by
returning your
old text books!
If the bookstore
won’t take your
old books back,
try to sell them
online.
Hopefully you
can use the
money you make
to help you pay
for your new
books next
year. ~
