Fulcrum, (University of Ottawa), September 13, 2007, p.3.
In response to "Call their textbook bluff," in the Sept. 6 issue of the Fulcrum.
Ben Myers is right to suggest that university textbook prices are often very steep and that they serve as a significant financial burden for most students. Setting up a student-administered book co-op may help alleviate this problem to a certain extent. Yet undergraduate students--especially in first-year, lecture-style courses--should always acquire the reading assigned by a professor. Mr. Myers suggests that students be "creative" and use online tools such as Wikipedia, or find older editions of assigned textbooks at public libraries, in order to get around actually buying the textbook. The fact is, however, that when students write an essay or an exam, most professors and teaching assistants are able to determine if
they are familiar with the assigned text. In many cases, students are required to engage the text by commenting on a given author's viewpoint, approach or methodology. This involves more than simply regurgitating "facts" acquired from an online encyclopedia. Likening textbook purchases to travel insurance that one may, or or may not need is a very risky way of approaching one's university education. By not purchasing an assigned book, an undergrad student may save $80, whilst ending up with a poor
grade in the given course, which will then be posted on their transcript and may hinder any future applications to grad school, as well as limit scholarship opportunities. Getting a university education in Ontario is a major investment for most people. Spending an extra few hundred dollars on books is part of the package.
Christopher Adam
PhD student in history