school textbooks Options

[*mona lisa*]

This is more for college/university students but don't you just hate it when the school holds a monopoly over textbooks? Grr.

I just bought my chemistry and physics textbooks and both come with an access code you need for some online homework system. If you buy a used book, you can buy the access kit/code online for around $40US. Wtf?

And I haven't even gotten books for half my classes and I've already spent around $300. Why do I need a Mathematics Survival Guide for my Calculus class? I can survive the class without it. Actually, I can survive life without Mathematics. (Ok, maybe not.)

I need a stupid i>clicker that allows me to answer multiple choice questions in class where the stats for the answers can be given right away when the prof clicks a certain button for the program. $35 for a tiny electronic. Seriously, wtf?

And my body is sore form carrying them home. Both weigh a total of 15 pounds. My back and legs hurt. *cries*

[*mona lisa*]

seriously! and they wonder why people get stuff
like scoliosis.

I have it and I'm worried. This has already been a terrible week in terms of carrying books and equipment home.

I had over $500 in book costs in my first semester freshman year, but the costs have decreased since then—partly because I already own expensive things like a calculator, for instance. I also don't have nearly as many books to buy: I had 19 my first semester, compared to 8 now (my fifth semester). Of course, those were mostly paperbacks, and now I mostly have big, heavy math and technical books that I usually don't sell back because I need them.

All of the textbooks I had to buy are hardcovers. I haven't bought everything I need (for lectures/labs/etc.) and I've used over $600. I have yet to buy my economics text, a lab coat, previous final exams and solutions (they are such a rip-off), googles, gloves, a hardcover lab notebook. What is wrong with paperback?