If seeing the amount of money I owe the University in tuition is not scary enough, the amount I have to pay back in books might send me over the edge.<\/p>\n
As summer was coming to an end, I blew the dust off my ASU email and checked my inbox for anything I missed. I saw a welcome email to a class, and tucked in the first paragraph it read “Textbook required.” I thought to myself, “It can’t be that bad, can it?”\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was $219.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, one of my required textbooks for the semester came out to a grand total of $219. But that is not the only email I received stressing how important it was to buy a textbook. Suddenly, between all my classes, I was looking at over $250 for my textbooks just this semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I know I share the frustration with many students regarding the high price of textbooks on top of increasing tuition. I find myself wondering why I am paying hundreds of dollars for a textbook I’ll only need for one semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scrambling, I looked for used textbooks that would arrive in time, but I found myself questioning if textbooks are actually as useful as some professors make them out to be. For the price, I could not convince myself that buying a $60 used textbook that was in “fine” condition was worth it after the semester ended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
READ MORE: <\/strong>The textbook industrial complex: How private publishers operate within the public university<\/a><\/p>\n Samantha Hernandez, a sophomore studying forensic psychology, said she once bought a textbook for $131 \u2014 \u00a0after being told it was required \u2014 and never ended up using it.\u00a0<\/p>\n “That’s what kind of pissed me off,” Hernandez said. “We didn’t even open it at all, and then (my teacher) would put (up) the Google presentation slides, but they had the information from the textbook, so it wasn’t really necessary to have it.”<\/p>\n Hernandez said the most she has ever spent on textbooks and online course materials in one semester was around $400 for more than 20 credits of classes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As tuition and student fees continue to increase, buying “required” textbooks is becoming another financial burden for higher education students.\u00a0<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/strong>Understanding ASU tuition and why it keeps going up<\/a><\/p>\n Daniela Reyes, a freshman studying medical studies, said that, much like tuition, it is difficult for students to pay for textbooks.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said it is especially difficult for low-income students who are left to pay out of pocket or have to work, in addition to being a student, as a way to pay for the materials needed to complete their education.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Many people in schools, or in general, can’t afford that,” Reyes said. “They have to be working … (to) buy the textbooks that we need for school and for the education they need.”<\/p>\n But what would a class look like without textbooks?\u00a0<\/p>\n Majia Nadesan, a professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said in a written statement that textbooks are intended to help students engage with class beyond just attending lectures.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It would be a sad state of affairs if students relied entirely upon class lectures for their education,” Nadesan wrote in the statement. “Reading is an important skill and expands knowledge (both abstract and concrete understandings). It also helps prepare students to ask informed questions from the professor.”\u00a0<\/p>\n When it comes to the hefty price, Nadesan said professors should take into account the prices of textbooks before assigning them for a class.She said she typically directs her students to Fletcher Library, the library located on the West campus, for free digital textbooks.\u00a0<\/p>\n ASU offers rentable textbooks<\/a> through the Sun Devil Campus Stores<\/a> for a significantly lower cost. Additionally, students that have already purchased textbooks and are no longer using them can sell them back to ASU and get back up to 50% of the original price.\u00a0<\/p>\n Students can also look to sites such as ThriftBooks<\/a> or Half Price Books<\/a> for used textbooks, which are typically listed at cheaper prices depending on the condition of the book.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although I don’t see textbook prices going down in the near future, I hold onto hope.\u00a0<\/p>\n But, for now, I guess it’s me and my sketchy textbook websites against the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.<\/p>\n Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, George Headley, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.<\/p>\n Reach the reporter at alillest@asu.edu<\/a> and follow @allylillestol<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n Like The State Press<\/a> on Facebook and follow @statepress<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n \nAllison Lillestol<\/strong>Community Reporter\n<\/p>\n Allison Lillestol is a reporter for the community and culture desk. She is in her 3rd semester with the State Press. She also works for the Arizona PBS.\u00a0<\/p>\n Continue supporting student journalism and donate<\/a> to The State Press today.<\/p>\n