It isn't enough that Sacramento State University's bookstore forces students to pay ridiculous amounts for textbooks. They like to taunt you about it afterwards. The Hornet Bookstore provides nothing but disappointment for students looking to cash in at the end of the semester.
"Let's see here... We can give you 28 dollars for this one, five dollars for this one, and we can't buy this one back," the lady behind the counter said. "Why not?" I ask. "It's an old edition," she says, "You see, they release a new edition of this textbook every year."
One would think that the bookstore would be willing to refund a greater portion of that initial investment. Is 50 percent too much to ask for? It isn't like there aren't profits to be had, as the books that are sold in used condition are still relatively expensive. Taking a small loss to earnings could significantly help to relieve some of the financial burden on the students.
As disappointing as it may be, there is just no obligation for this privately-owned bookstore to accede to a student's needs. This is understandable, as it's not in their best financial interests to help alleviate the amount students are paying for textbooks. What isn't understandable is the unreasonable extent that the bookstore is driving for that profit margin given the current economic situation.
Along with the ever-increasing cost of college tuition fees, the rising cost of textbooks threaten students' financial stability. The wholesale prices charged by textbook publishers have jumped 62 percent since 1994, and that doesn't account for the additional amount levied by the bookstore itself. After the Hornet Bookstore was privatized, prices of textbooks has steadily risen and the money given to re-sellers has steadily sunk.
What's worse is the publishing industry's practice of constantly producing new editions. These new versions, released usually every 2 or 3 years, are an attempt by the publisher to bring in more profits. A recent study conducted by the Student Public Interest Research Group found that the new editions are on average 12 percent more expensive than the edition that it replaces. Also, the study also found that 72 percent of college professors believe that new editions are necessary "less than half of the time."
Thankfully, studying journalism doesn't usually necessitate a hefty book load. Purchasing the AP Stylebook and often times a couple short, cheaper books is the most expected from a journalism major. When the time comes to fork out the money for my textbooks, it's usually the general education courses that rack up the largest bill.
My girlfriend's textbooks, on the other hand, cost enough to make up for mine and then some. As a speech-language pathology major with a minor in biology and psychology, textbooks don't come cheap. She spent the first two semesters buying books for courses from the Hornet Bookstore. The combined total from the two semesters was somewhere near $900. The amount is covered by her financial aid, but leaves little left over for paying tuition fees.
These preposterous prices are the reason that she, like many other students, has moved her purchases online. Online new and used book sellers and buyers like the recently popularized Chegg.com have emerged as a bit of relief for starving students. Chegg.com is just one of the many websites that students can buy college textbooks at a reasonable cost, and even rent out books as an even cheaper alternative to buying. Since the market is competitive, the prices have remained lower then a majority of campus bookstores.
Most college students are frugal, and they will take their money to where their dollar goes the furthest. Right now, buying textbooks from our bookstore is actually a monetary mistake. There a couple ways for the bookstore to fix that, the obvious one being slightly lower prices. The buyback rates could also be increased to a more reasonable amount, and accepting old editions at a fraction of wholesale buyback prices would be considerate.
The Hornet Bookstore should make a change, if not for the sake of students, for itself. The market for buying and selling college textbooks online is expanding. If the bookstore doesn't adapt, it could be seeing a loss in business.
Specifics make the case:
ReplyDelete"It isn't enough that Sacramento State University's bookstore forces students to pay ridiculous amounts for textbooks. "
Given an example (with numbers, please)
Same here:
"It isn't like there aren't profits to be had, as the books that are sold in used condition are still relatively expensive."
What is relatively expensive?
And finally:
"These preposterous prices are the reason that she, like many other students, has moved her purchases online."
Preposterous, maybe, but without showing specifics, well, it's a tough sell.
The notion that the bookstore is ripping off students is probably accurate. But to make the charge stick, the evidence has to be real evidence, not hyperbole.
This column could easily be a powerful indictment... But it needs more facts and a little argumentation based on specifics.