'Makes' is the right word here. No one would argue that. Buying Guide: 18 Things You Really Need for College. At college, you’re the boss. Few people read textbooks unless they have to. We determined that textbook companies are churning out new editions with little new information. The question of whether or not your student needs textbooks in college is not as simple as it seems. Another suggestion is looking online for used textbooks that could cost less than new ones. As you point out, in the past we’ve concerned ourselves with the question: “How much do textbooks cost?” and we’ve assumed that students actually buy the textbooks required for the course. I need to interview you, because I don't think you exist. Multiply the number of pages you have to read by 5 minutes. Keep this in mind as you schedule time to do your reading. For example, I'm supposed to read a textbook around 950 pages in a History course this year. Generally, my answer would be yes, and a lot of students would most likely agree. Find your group chats here >> ... about whether lecturers really ask students to refer to the textbooks or whether that is just something they ask you to do just in case you need help considering they are pretty expensive. Thanks for digging into the question of how much students actually spend on textbooks. It's true that textbooks are cheaper if you buy them beforehand, but better to know what exactly you need to buy and buy it, rather than waste money and time getting the wrong edition. Do you really need to buy textbooks for uni? So do you need them? Now Textbooks™ are a different ball game. The National Association of College Stores (NACS) estimated that the average cost a student pays for textbooks each semester is $655. You can make notes or highlights (unless it is borrowed) and refer back to it. I take 5 classes that each take a considerable amount of my time every week. If you don’t know what to do with your old textbooks, there are plenty of options aside from just letting them collect dust on the shelf. You can rent books from amazon - however, many professors use online courseware , especially in math and maybe even languages. Do I really need textbooks? Announcements Applying to uni? … But I feel like we’re not being honest with ourselves. I'm currently in university and I find it impossible to do all the readings. And if you really do need an access code, do you absolutely have to buy a brand-new book so as to guarantee that the code is still valid and you can get the material that is beyond the book? Watch. Like using a fork for the same soup, they technically get the job done but really; even nothing at all would be a better option. Tip: do NOT buy any school supplies at the college bookstore - you can buy at Staples and art stores at lower prices. An economics professor at University of Michigan has researched the cost of textbooks. Publishers got wise and came up with a compromise, one that we recommend for you if you really do need textbook access codes: Legal and legitimate downloads of just the access code and supplemental material directly (and safely and securely) from the publisher thus freeing you to buy or rent a money-saving used textbook. And yea, honestly, if you're willing to go to the library everytime you need a textbook, you can scrape by without buying the textbook. If you calculate four hours of reading, you might not want to read 7-11 p.m. straight through. The simple answer is “Yes, of course.” The more complex answer may be, “It depends.” The cost of college textbooks is high. Are they really needed? The advantage of purchasing or borrowing a textbook is that you have it to refer to at any time. Effective textbook reading is a key study skill for student success. Nearly every class makes you read them. School supplies are about more than just pencils and paper. If you read textbooks for fun, shoot me an email. Now you know where to donate textbooks and what to do with old textbooks if donating them isn’t your decision. The faculty at my college spent time 7 years to look at this issue. That is the amount of time the average college student needs to spend on their reading assignment. They’re generally overpriced and the author’s name is suspiciously similar to your professor’s.