The new semester starts off with a familiar mix: excitement and trepidation, but also that pit in the bottom of my stomach looking at the cost of all my books. Why is it that publishers mark up the prices for already broke students? There is little way around it, if you want to do the reading and pass the class you need the book, but also the money to pay for them. I pay more for books than I do rent for a semester. One puts a roof over my head, and the other has little practical use beyond being used as a makeshift yoga block. It is around this stage that I realize that I have nothing to complain about.
After a series of informal interviews it seems that I am the exception and not the rule. Many of my friends are able to keep their book costs low and know that they are just another required part of investing in their education.
It all comes down to the simple economic theory you have to spend money to make money. Books may break the bank for now, but their pay off will be exponential. If one class opens the door to a summer internship, and later a full time job then there is a great return on that $60 book.
Education is one of the few things that cannot be taken away. If you default on your student loan the bank can’t repossess your degree. There are all kinds of studies that show that more education means more money later in life. A 2014 Pew Research Center study compared the median yearly salary between a college graduate and a high school graduate. The college grad’s salary goes up $17,000 compared to those with solely a high school diploma. So before the melodramatic eye roll starts, keep in mind that your tuition, student fees—and yes—even those heavy books are an investment that will pay off in the long run.
Next time I feel the need to complain about spend money on books I will have to bite my tongue. Research studies and listening in around campus show that book prices really aren’t that bad and will be worth it. I should eat my words. Maybe that $150 calculus book is worth it after all.
