College bookstore can bite my shiny metal ass!!!!!!!

[bammertheblue]

I am SO angry right now!! I went online to the school (American U, I'm a master's student) bookstore to check out what books I'll need for next semester. For my drama class there are 13 books, each about 8-10 dollars USED.
The problem is, I already have a few of them from my undergrad classes (at a different school), and there I paid TWO DOLLARS for them. Others are available online for 75 cents to 4 dollars.

WHY WHY WHY DO THEY RIP STUDENTS OFF????????????? WHY IS THIS OKAY????
I cannot afford to buy books at these prices, and if the profs tell me to buy the overpriced versions "for the introductions" I will scream!!!!!!!!!

[Michigander4Dean]

1. Yeah. Paid $250 for books in August, sold them back for $80

:wtf:

[bammertheblue]

3. I just bought all I could online

the total was just under 100 dollars. The actual books were 63 dollars and the rest was shipping ( :() From the school bookstore it would have been about 300!
I still have to get two books at the bookstore because half.com didn't have them (and one was actually cheaper at school than online...weird).

When I was selling my books back from last semester, I got a grand total of eight dollars for the six books I sold. I almost cried. What a scam!

[Dark]

2. It's the economy, stupid.

Greed is good, or whatever.

I know, bullshit. But that's capitalism. Education is too important to be given to the masses.

[bicentennial_baby]

4. Go to Half.com for texts

get your ISBN #s and always check there first...I've seen people save hundreds of $$$ by doing that :)

[bammertheblue]

5. Yup

that's what I did. It took some work getting the right editions, translators, etc, but I saved at least $150. Keeping books from past years helps, too.
I just always worry that the sellers are not going to send me the books, but I try to pick the ones with the highest "good" ratings. I think most people on half.com are pretty good; I just got burned once on Amazon so I'm a little wary.

[trogdor]

6. I was gonna say.

eBay them all to hell! /heston

[bammertheblue]

7. There's just one

particular prof I am irritated with...after going on half.com I saw that she picked the most expensive versions of the texts. For example, one of the books for her class costs 8.50 used. I bought this book (a play actually) last year for two dollars, brand new. It was a Dover Thrift Edition, which rock, by the way.
I want to bring it in and wave it in her face, but that might not be the best start to the semester :grr:

[Moochy]

8. Are we talking chrome?

Are you like a robot? Just wondering about your shiny metal ass. :D

[bammertheblue]

9. hehehe

it's from a funny show on Adult Swim- Futurama. And yes, the one who says it is a robot:)

[Moochy]

10. I thought that was a Bender Quote :) n/t

[ghostsofgiants]

11. Originally a Fox show, actually

And I will curse Fox for the rest of my days for cancelling it. x(

[Lady Freedom]

12. That is why I am so happy my school rents books.

cheaper. $6 a core hour,per class. say you need 3 books for lit class, it will cost you $18 for the set, just return them the monday after finals.

[bammertheblue]

13. I wish mine did that

actually, one of my profs ( a cool one) always puts all the books on his syllabus on 3 hour reserve in the library, so if people really cannot afford to buy the book, they can get it from the library and it'll always be there. It would be hard when it comes to writing papers, though, at least for me. I need to have the book right there with me while I write it.

[Sabriel]

14. In defense of (some) professors...

We are sometimes constrained by what is available to order. In other words, I can't request an older edition of a text even if I want it, because the bookstore can't guarantee they'll be able to find enough copies for all the sections. And I can't leave it up to students ordering it online, as there are sometime computer access or credit card issues there.

The reason authors put out editions as frequently as they can is that they make ZERO dollars off resale texts. IOW, they only get royalties the first time the text is sold, not the subsquent times. You might imagine how irritating that could be.

[bammertheblue]

16. I understand

I'm totally not ripping on all profs. (I want to be one myself someday!) I'm just in a different environment, a different school where people seem to be richer. At my undergrad school I remember a prof apologizing for making us buy a copy of one play that was $8.50...I wish some people understood what it's like to be poor like that!

[ucmike]

15. my theory on book costs

actually, most costs associated with college.

the books cost so much because the vendors are gouging students because of the availability of student loans and aid packages. if there was no gov't money for college then expenses would be more reasonable. the vendors can't get the money directly from the govt, so they use the students as a middle man, and get the money in the end while students pay the interest.

[Briarius]

17. Another one to try is Amazon

look for the people selling them used there, search by ISBN. I've done pretty well buying selling on there, so it'd be worth a shot!

[CarpeDiebold]

18. this will cheer up your situation :)

each one of our books is around 100, and we have to buy about 20 the first year and 10 the second year, third year the books are around 200 a pop and we have to buy 7-10 depending on what rotations you do.

that comes out to >4400. for books.

the grass is always greener on the other side i guess.

[bammertheblue]

19. oh my god

are you in med school?
I'm a literature student- I know med books are more expensive. I don't envy you!