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Summary critique the high cost of college textbooks
Summary critique the high cost of college textbooks
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Expensive Textbooks Textbooks are a must in almost every university. On top of tuition, dining and housing fees, high cost of textbooks is a huge burden on the students. Every student wants to buy the textbooks for their class as the books are the best source for their study, but the main barrier is the high price of the books. According to NBC's review of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, textbook prices have risen over three times the rate of inflation from January 1977 to June 2015, a 1,041 percent increase(Popken). Further, researches have shown that a student spends around twelve hundred dollars a year on textbooks(Senack6). Imagine a student you know from your neighbor, who has a poor financial background and spends 1200 That day I got to know that even the cost of books had a direct impact on how many or which classes students took. Even some students try to get through classes without buying the books, which has affected their grades badly. A 2014 study conducted by the Student Public Interest Research Group found 65 percent of students skipped purchasing a textbook because of cost(Senack11). Along with these problems, some professors demand a specific edition of textbooks which would cost hundreds of dollars more than the older version and the only difference students could find is the physical appearance of the books. The California Student Public Interest Research Group published a study in 2004 that found new editions cost 58 percent more than older editions and newer editions are not that different from previous Open source textbooks can be a great solution to decrease the expenses on the textbooks as all the resources are available on the internet for free. In addition, it can be accessible anywhere at any time so, students shouldn’t carry heavy textbooks all the time. Although, some might argue that many students have habit to study from hard copies or textbooks; they can easily download and print from the open source textbook which might cost only 20 – 40 dollars to print compared to hundreds of dollars on text books. Moreover, it can be easily edited by teachers as per their need, and students can learn what their teachers really want them to focus on. Yet, some might argue that why would professors waste their time editing textbooks when they can easily recommend textbooks to students. Though, they can recommend; the textbooks might always miss something or write more about something which the professor require or don’t respectively. Also, editing the open source textbook is not like writing a textbook which consumes a lot of time, it’s just adding or removing some necessary or unnecessary information. Hence, another problem of buying older versions or new versions books per the teacher’s choice can be easily
Classes today are really expensive, especially with the more classes that the school requires a student to take. According to a 2010 study by the University of California’s Civil Rights Project, “Two-thirds of students at one California’s State University campus weren’t able to get into their required courses.” This means that the students at that school will stay in school for more than four years than they intended. Plus, most students tend’ to take fewer classes than they should, this will hold them back from getting their degree, which cost them more than staying in college for more than four
In addition, textbooks are heavy to carry around and it takes longer to find a page. Likewise with digital textbooks they are compatible with tablets, smartphones, and laptops; it’s much easier to carry around and affordable price. However, some people may argue that digital textbooks can be a distraction for people because they would not bother read anymore. The author and poet Dana Gioia argues that electronics alternatives may be a bad influence that will lead society to not read anymore. Gioia complicates matters further when she writes, “While no single activity is responsible for the decline in reading, the cumulative presence and availability of electronic alternatives increasingly have drawn Americans away from reading” (161). I think Gioia is mistaken because she overlooks on electronics being a bad influence; but doesn’t see the benefits of electronics. To demonstrate, most of my textbooks are digital, which I can easily carry my tablet around where ever I go. Also, I save more money on digital textbooks and are simple to annotated the text. Journalist Ellen Lee interview a student from Liberty University, and he states that he prefers digital textbooks because he can tap his iPad, opens the digital copy and quickly open the page. Nevertheless, he also like digital textbooks because it has a feature that allows to highlight and mark the
This article, “Why Are Textbooks So Expensive?” by Henry Roediger reveals the truth of why textbooks are so pricey. He shows how textbooks prices are costly not because of inflation, corporate textbook companies, and frequent revisions, but because of the sale of used textbooks. The article is elaborating on why used textbooks are the real culprit as well. One main point that is highlighted is that used textbooks are resold for many years. The initial selling of the textbook is the only time the author will make a profit, but the bookstore will make a profit every time they resell a used book. It is essential for the author to raise the price to compensate for the loss of money when dealing with used textbooks.
In a recent study that was conducted the rate of individuals attending college has increased. This increase in students comes at a time when the country has been described as being in a recession. With job losses, companies closing and lack of job availability many people are returning to school. This return to the classroom comes at a cost. The rate of college tuition has risen in the last few years. In my home state of Kentucky, it appears both of the major Universities have asked to raise tuition every other year. When college cost rise so does the tools needed to attend college. One of the most expensive tools is books. Last year I enrolled my son in college when calculating the books for his classes, we soon learned that the cost of his books and the cost of my books were almost on month’s salary. My family soon learned if we were going to be able to not only attend college but have the necessary tools needed, we would have to consider alternatives to buying books. I did some research and soon discovered that technology had again come to the rescue. I found a company called Chegg that is an online book rental company. This company provides students with an alternative to buying books by renting them for a portion of the price. According to their article in CrunchBase named “Chegg edit” the company began at Iowa University in 2005 as a “hyper-local” classified directory. It was not until 2007 that the company introduced their textbook rental service. When looking at the company from an Information Systems standpoint I would say it ranks up there with the creative ideas of the century. You go online type in your order and it is processed within a matter of days. During the next portion of this paper we will loo...
...university needs to stop requiring packaged materials and should move away from textbooks that require one-time access codes. Also, they can reuse textbooks for several semesters because the core information remains the same from edition to edition, eliminating the need to constantly replace the stock with every new edition. Students would be held responsible for the condition of their assigned book, and will also be given the option of keeping it at the end of the semester. In either case, the school has options in place to recover the cost of the textbook should a student destroy or decide to keep a specific book. By implementing such a program, students at the University of Delaware will be less inclined to resort to illegal measures to save money, and they will certainly be less likely to incur even more debt as the cost of college tuition continues to rise.
With the current economic crisis, teacher’s budgets are being cut. This has many rippled effects that the government needs to understand. Budget cuts affect not only teachers, but the students by supplying them with less school materials such as text books, and learning tools which keep students interested by doing fun activities. Without being able to updated text books due to lack of funding, students will have to learn outdated information, and learn incorrect information. There will also be less technology purchases ...
Today in America, students graduate from college but struggle to pay off their student debt for years. Other times, smart individuals drop out of college because they cannot afford to pay the rest of their college tuition. In the 1960s and 1970s, tuition was only a small fraction of what it is today, and many were able to afford it with the money they earned over the summer. However, as the years went by, college tuition became expensive and eventually started to rise faster than inflation. Currently, tuition at selective and private colleges and universities has risen annually by two or three percent more than the rate of inflation, which has caused an ongoing controversy within America to
Those who think a college education is not worth it believe that college can become a setback in life due to the thousands of dollars that college students are spending on tuition and books. Students who attend college will not have the money to purchase a home, spend money on family, vacations, or any other costly items and bills. On the other hand, most college students end up paying for their college loans all of their life or go into debt. They will never have money to rely on since their credit cards will be racking up interest for college loans that need to be paid off. As stated by Paul Taylor in Michelle Adam’s report, the cost of a college education has been at a record level and the cost of tuition and fees has more than tripled which is causing a rise in student debt (58). With rising prices, the economy is making it more difficult for people to afford a college education.
In conclusion, America provides many ways to help reduce the cost of college textbooks but society is still not satisfied with the outcome. The Open Textbook, Affordable Textbook Act, and book store rentals are wonderful programs, but has its disadvantages that hopefully would be resolved in the 2016 presidential elections. The statistics show that many students across the nation benefit from learning with quality of teaching, the amount of accessibility it provides without having to worry about paying off student loans. School administrations should consider about transferring to an act that would benefit both the school and the students, but also provide more equality to the publishers and students.
"As Costs of Textbooks Rise, E-books Emerge as More Affordable Alternative." The Daily Illini. Brittany Gibson, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
With technology progressing from drones fulfilling shipments to electronic books becoming cheaper, major companies such as Apple and Amazon have had a big impact on not only the tech industry but the publishing industry as well. Companies are outputting resources like IBook’s and the Kindle bookstore to take full advantage of the transition to digital publishing. As a result of this we have greener, more budget friendly books, and outdated traditional copies of text. With the introduction to these resources it is making the lives of students and the mass market more convenient. Students are now able to purchase books on one device that won’t weigh their bags down on a daily basis. Companies have created bookstores that can be accessed from devices that we use every day, resulting in paperless copies of books that are substantially cheaper than the traditional hard copy. E-books are replacing physical books and textbooks rapidly, and as a result they are becoming more widely and readily available for students.
Besides, a textbook can guarantee that students in different classes will receive a similar content and therefore, can be evaluated in the same way. In other words, textbooks provide the standards in instruction. Moreover, they include a variety of learning resources such as workbooks, CDs and videos, etc., which make the learning environment colorful and interesting for the students. They do not only provide a framework for teachers in achieving the objectives of the course, but also act as a guide to the teacher in the classroom. The content of English language textbooks influences what teachers teach and learners
Textbooks are reliable, they can be used by anyone, and there are enough textbooks for each student to have their own, and be able to take them home. Also, technology is impacting the way the brain receives information. Reading digital print isn't as productive for readers as printed text, and there is limited access to resources needed for tablets to be effective when used by students. While this is true there are benefits to using tablets and other forms of technology in the classroom. It is easier for teachers to have assignments emailed directly to them, or post assignments on the internet, the use of technology is required in many core classes, and textbooks are easily worn, and expensive.
Getting educated is one of the most important things in life when it comes to getting a good future. By developing good knowledge of schooling, it helps establish and maintain new information as needed throughout the real world. As books are one the essential tools in learning, eBooks are being used in a everyday lifestyle. Traveling to get away places from city life, helps give reading a comforting feel. Students that use print books are eventually going to use ebooks in the future. By educating students with ebooks, it is more efficient than carrying textbooks; ebooks is more convenient and reliable to read, write and store notes. Print books are being replaced by eBooks, it helps on keeping files together and it makes notes
And some of the students which willing to eat at some restaurant or mamak so the price of the restaurant is cheaper compare to café etc. Furthermore are student’s education fees. Some of the students in the campus are spending to buying new textbooks. Oftentimes, students feel they need to buy their textbook quickly and will go to book store to buy all textbooks for their classes, many of them new. Besides, additional professional papers also taking by students apart from his or her current papers.