How much did you pay for your textbooks? / LJWorld.com

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Asked at Massachusetts Street on August 21, 2008

“Over $500. Personally I don’t pay for them - my parents do - but it’s unfortunate that they have to pay so much for tuition and then for books on top of it.”

— Jackie Gentile, Kansas University sophomore, Chicago

“I paid about $145 for three books, but I bought two of them online for a third of the price.”

— Justin Hendricks, KU senior, Lawrence

“About $350 or something like that. It wasn’t fun; they were way too expensive for my taste.”

— Eric Kocher, KU freshman, Pratt

“I haven’t gotten them yet, but I am not looking forward to it. I’m going to wait and ask the professor which ones are really required and look to buy as many used as possible.”

— Jennifer Baldwin, KU junior, Ottawa

Price reform on college textbooks sought

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ohjayhawk 5 years, 6 months ago

I don't remember, it's been long enough ago. I do remember buying a new one for say $100.00, selling it back for about $15.00 and seeing them selling the used ones the next semester for something like $80.00. Then, if a new edition that came out, they wouldn't buy the old one back at all. I've always thought that I should get into the textbook business. Although, I know a lot of students are buying them on-line now.

alm77 5 years, 6 months ago

$281 for me.... and I don't know about my husband. He sold last years textbooks and some books we had laying around the house on amazon.com and had enough to purchase his books for this year with a little left over.

sgtwolverine 5 years, 6 months ago

I didn't go to college, so I didn't spend my life savings on books I'd use only once. I did take one (photography) class at a community college, but it cost next to nothing, and it didn't require any books.

zettapixel 5 years, 6 months ago

Having a Barnes & Noble textbook scholarship in college was GREAT! Up to $1k worth of textbooks and bookstore items per semester. B-) I wonder if they have anything like that at KU?

mom_of_three 5 years, 6 months ago

Not as much as everyone else. I have been able to find my textbooks online and have paid less than a 1/3 of the bookstore price. After taking 7 classes, I finally had to buy a new book, and it was hard. Tried to used for my daughter, but most of her books were didn't come used. But I would suggest amazon, and there is a website that will look up all the used online bookstore prices, so you can compare at the same time. It's very cool.

samsnewplace 5 years, 6 months ago

spacehog, you are what we don't want our children to become!

Ceallach 5 years, 6 months ago

I believe it was 3 chickens, 5 pounds of potatoes, and 5 heads of cabbage.

alm77 5 years, 6 months ago

spacehog, just remember that when they need assisted living someday. Your house better have a few spare rooms and a really nice nurse! ;)

samsnewplace 5 years, 6 months ago

ryknow1976 she is only one of many, many who probably do the same thing. Is this teaching our kids anything to give, give, give? If they pay their own way through school, they will work harder and appreicate their accomplishments on their own.

BorderRat 5 years, 6 months ago

The used text book buy back is a rip off. They buy them back for a few cents on the dollar, jack up the prick and sell them in the bookstores. Cut out the middleman and find someone who needs the text book, offer it for a price that is less than what the booktore is selling the used one for. You'll get more than the buy back price, they'll get it cheaper that the used price. Win Win situation.

jonas 5 years, 6 months ago

multiD: Thanks, already done for the day, two more tomorrow. Pretty easy, first day stuff. It only took about 15 minutes, but I think the rest will be 25 minutes or so, as a lot of things slipped my rather nervous mind.

ryknow1976 5 years, 6 months ago

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.

Flap Doodle 5 years, 6 months ago

"by the way, how do you take notes with a marmot?"Actually you take notes on the marmot. You have to use the special pens we sell for $350 each.

Curtis Lange 5 years, 6 months ago

I paid ~$300 this semester. It was the most I've ever spent on textbooks in my college career. :(Pink_Sock: Nice name, lol.

bombshell 5 years, 6 months ago

I usually ended up paying 400+ a semester for books... and being in business school I was on differential tuition on top of that for something like $75 more per credit hour. I make a decent salary now but my scholarships didn't near cover how much undergrad cost me and I'm in-state! Someday I will pay off the hell which is my student loans but I haven't even gone halfway towards seeing light at the end of that tunnel. If I knew then what I know now, I would have spent more time trying to get more outside scholarships - so congrats to those who did, like zettapixel with the Barnes & Noble scholarship - thats awesome!

sunflower_sue 5 years, 6 months ago

It was too much back then so I don't even want to think about what it would be now. Mostly, textbooks were a waste of money. Very few instructors used more than 20 pages out of the book. I hope that the profs have become more selective of the materials they require. It's all a racket.

Bassetlover 5 years, 6 months ago

Only had to spend about $75 each semester to cover 5 different classes. But of course, this was back in the good old 70s.....

ms_canada 5 years, 6 months ago

Mucho dinero. mucho!!!! Grandson David, informed us yesterday that he requires 20, that is 20 textbooks for his first semester? Good gracious, it will break me for sure. We pay tuition for two grandsons. But we praise God that we are able to do that and that we can encourage them to get a good education. David is in medical research and Michael business admin.