Ariel Lassiter
Many Pierce College students rush to the campus bookstore to find used books for affordable prices, only to find that the books they are searching for are much more expensive than they may have anticipated.
Despite grants and financial aid being available, some students do not have that luxury.
Besides the campus bookstore, there are other popular ways students are buying their books.
Online Web sites such as half.com, amazon.com and ebay.com are just a few sites that sell textbooks for almost half the price they are sold for in the bookstore.
Signs are all around campus advertising an array of books for sale for very low prices-some even posted on the doors of bathroom stalls.
Several students cited convenience as one of the main factors when searching and purchasing books for classes.
Since the textbooks are guaranteed to be at the campus bookstore, it is relatively painless to go there compared to using other popular methods such as online purchasing, or purchasing from other students.
“It’s easier to get books from the bookstore,” said Bentley Yeager, a registered veterinary technician major. “Buying from other students can be time consuming and a hassle, especially going through searching for someone who has the book I may be looking for.”
Science and business majors seem to have the most expensive books, easily ranging from $100 to almost $200 a book. Many science majors, when interviewed, stated that online purchasing is very popular because the books are a lot cheaper online than in the campus bookstore.
“I would prefer to get my books online just because it’s a lot cheaper, but it is a lot easier to get them from the campus bookstore because I don’t have to wait,” said Rebecca Herrera, a 21-year-old criminal justice major.
Although prices can be high inside the bookstore, many students find it more convenient to just buy from the campus bookstore.
Marie Hopkins, a 21-year-old business major, commented that many teachers change editions each semester, making it hard for students to sell to other students and ultimately making that form of selling sometimes impossible.
It has been said that some professors on campus make a little bit of money from every book bought for their classes, but teachers who were questioned declined this.
Students did find the buyback programs at the end of every semester to be somewhat helpful, which allows some books to be sold back for cash.
