The Soap Box:
Textbook Racket
Textbooks can be a real 'college racket'. Our college operates on a 25% margin. A computer disk that is purchased at $40 will sell in our bookstore for $53.35. Of course, most books are priced at suggested retail, not more. Therefore the college purchased the book for about 75-80% of retail. Our bookstore is nonprofit, but does not cost the college a penny. Their 'rent' is paid from the margin. Their employees, really employes of the college, have their salaries generated by the margin. Taxpayers funds are not used to operate a bookstore in the college, you pay for the bookstore service through your purchases. Many colleges do not have a physical bookstore and force you to buy off campus or online.
Book companies have the new edition every three years. Why? However, Computer books are almost on a yearly cycle, two years at the most. Each professor has a vote in the choosing of a text. You may have experienced the professor who goes page by page through the book, tests from the book, while his opposite never follows the book and you really might get by without the book. Smart students use the 'grapevine' to find out about the professor from their friends. A big question, does he/she require homework from the book? If yes, no choice buy it, rent it, or share with a friend. If the professor uses it as a reference, then the 'older'/'used' edition may work in the course, or even another title that you can get cheap. Truth from your instructor, his online quizzes (not WebCT) come from older editions of the book, since he has used this book through all four editions. If you can find a third edition, or even a second, and can use an INDEX, then you can complete their assignments. No assignments, except the WebCT quizzes, come directly from the book. The instructor used the 4th edition for the WebCt tests, while the instructor online were made from the 3rd or even the 2nd edition.
Of course, there is the student who will not put his/her identity in a book, thinking it increases its value, then its stolen. You are out of luck. If you buy you books early, you may want to wait till after the first week of drop/add and return to the bookstore to get it stamped for your identity for end of term resale. Its a used book if you mark in it. If you change your mind, you are stuck. But protect yourself if you will stay with the course through drop and add. If you drop the course in the first week, then you must have a processed drop form and your bookstore receipt to get an exchange or refund. Professors get in trouble and the Book store goes ballistic, if the professor gives directions during the first week that "he/she" will NOT use the book and tells you to return it. Then the bookstore gets nasty with you. Do your research on the prof and the course. See if you can get the book online for a faction of the cost (remember to include the shipping costs).
Ok, when we do this assignment, in your first group email, tell your 'horror' stories about book for classes. Then later, after using the Internet find out if you could save on the books enough that it is worth your time. A second reminder, Your Time is considered Money and its easier and simpler and guaranteed if you use our bookstore at HCC.