Rant: Why do Professors change textbooks in college?

[dfi]

Because their buddy wrote a new book?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Pricey books? I bought a reader that's 400 pages at most. Even if you get Kinkos' 10 cents per copy to do it by hand, that's only $40 at most, but noo.. $98 reader. I bought a $59 textbook on top fo that.... $98 reader??!?!! ARE YOU FVCKING KIDDING ME? Half the articles can be found online, as I googled at least half of them (I didn't try all of them), so I don't know where the licensing comes in.... $98. I couldn't believe it. Whatever.

I also hate how my civil engineering class last semester switches books based on professors. They each write their own ghetto@$$ books and then require the class to use it, which is basically their lecture notes rewritten. No wonder the stupid bookstore didnt want to buy my book back. What's worse, my roommate can't buy it off me either since the book changed this semester.

Half.com FTW

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker
lets see, at my university theres about ~20,000 undergrad. books are about 300 a semester. so, you're looking at 6 million in books per semester, on top of tuition (granted, i'm overestimating, but they're still making a nice chunk of change)

6 million in book sales hardly compares to the amount the receive in tuition. And if you really want a great source of revenue: room & board. It costs next to nothing to house a bunch of students, 2 to a room, with a community bathroom on each floor. At some schools, room & board is significantly higher than what you'd pay in the community to rent (then again, in some communities, they've figured this out and charge a higher rent to college students)

It cost me $1001 to live in the dorms in freshman year. I had a freaking triple. That means we were paying $3003 / month.

I pay $1490 for my current apt (2 bedroom). I paid $2250 for my old apartment last yr (it was one of those brand new ones, also 2 bedroom).

1490/2 = $745 / month. Cheaper.

2250 required 4 ppl, so 562.5.. definitely cheaper than dorms, but same living conditions because of shared rooms

Room and board is a joke. My friends who live at the new campus "apartments" pay $800 / month. What a joke. You don't even get your own room. I can't believe I have friends paying $800 / month for something like that when I'm paying 785 for my OWN ROOM + parking spot

 

[Baked]

Home made readers by professors are lame. They would've had their lazy TAs scanned the readers to PDF and put them on e-reserve.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: RGUN
Maybe when the publisher puts out a new edition the old edition is no longer produced? So they are forced to use the new edition since they cant count on everyone to go look for a used edition?

I mean I agree on that, but this was totally different.
The main textbook for class was the 11th edition from last year. The professor referenced from the 12th edition that came out this year. Yeah I could have expected he use the 13th edition for the fall, but intead used the 2nd edition of a different book.

 

[slag]

Originally posted by: kami333

Originally posted by: waggy
some colleges get kickbacks to change. also the bookstore is a huge source of revenue for the college.

And if the publisher stopped printing the book, it can cause supply issues.

I ended up keeping all my expensive (ie science) books. Good reference later on.

Yeah, but the planets section is all fubar now. 🙂

 

[TraumaRN]

College textbooks are crazy.

I breathed a sigh of relief this semester as books were ONLY 250 bucks, for 3 stinkin books! Which is still $80 a book.

Both semester of sophomore year and first semester of junior year I paid 1000+ dollars for books and supplies needed for class. Fvckin ridculous.

 

[Ryan]

I wish my books were 40 and 80 dollars - I paid 115, 90, and 85 for mine this semester 🙁

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: DeathBUA
College textbooks are crazy.

I breathed a sigh of relief this semester as books were ONLY 250 bucks, for 3 stinkin books! Which is still $80 a book.

Both semester of sophomore year and first semester of junior year I paid 1000+ dollars for books and supplies needed for class. Fvckin ridculous.

I guess I have it lucky. only about $200 for 5 books this semester. Using half.com

 

[ArchCenturion]

I don't know about books of other majors, but in Engineering, when they do this, the new edition simply has the problems at the end of the chapter switched around. I always buy an older version, then just work with someone that has the correct edition, or photocopy the problems from the correct edition.

 

[fitzov]

don't you know? the rules of math and grammar, and scientific laws change every semester!

 

[ZetaEpyon]

Seriously, $40 and $80 are not pricey books.
Try a nearly $200 chemistry or physics book when the university switches to the brand new edition, so there aren't any used copies at all. 🙁

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: BigJ
They probably received free Instructor Editions and found they're a better fit for the class.

:thumbsup:

 

[Pacemaker]

One of my favorite professors wrote his own text book and handed it out (on printer paper with three holes already punched in it so you could buy a binder for it) for free. Basically with the binder to hold it the book cost me 99 cents.

 

[purbeast0]

i seriuosly only bought like 5 text books my entire college career. 3 of those were my first semester, and i realized how worthless they are.

 

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: RGUN
Maybe when the publisher puts out a new edition the old edition is no longer produced? So they are forced to use the new edition since they cant count on everyone to go look for a used edition?

Dingidngiding! I know someone in textbook publishing, this is correct. They hate the used book market and believe that their only defense is to release new editions.

 

[ballmode]

don't know why but i'm sure it helps the university out