I don't buy it

For summer session II, I spent a grand total of $300 for all of three books. Usually, I get very excited to buy my new textbooks. I love knowing I'm about to feed my geeky needs for new information. However, flipping through my textbooks left me with a sense of ... disappointment.

The communications text I was required to buy is a gold mine of what I will refer to as "duh" knowledge. It has a chapter telling me that in order to communicate effectively, I should portray my message through body language. Um ... duh. It didn't take Will Smith in "Hitch" to tell me that 90 percent of communication is body language, and I certainly didn't need to pay 100 dollars for this book to tell me. The textbook prices trouble me, along with most students. It simply blows my mind to pay so much for information that probably won't even be utilized throughout the course.

Most of my "required" texts don't get read over the semester. It's frustrating for most of us, and downright depressing most of the time. Textbooks trouble my hippie tendencies also. At the beginning of spring semester, I set off in search of effective ways to save money and a few trees. But as I rip out another 14 pages from my French workbook, which are doomed for a recycling bin somewhere, I can practically hear the trees falling. Sure, I can save the pages and gather some dust in my room, but it's a waste of space.

Most assignments can be done easily on Blackboard, lessening the environmental impact and even the impact to my purse. If these assignments were available online, I wouldn't need to buy the extra supplementary workbook.

It's a common frustration for students. Textbooks weigh heavily on the environment and our pocketbooks. "Recycling" a textbook by selling it back is a good way to keep impact down (and it's pretty cost effective, even if you never get the full price back). However, technological improvements have created ways to not only reduce environmental impact but to reduce the cost of textbooks. Online Web sites, such as Chegg.com, offer interesting ways to save 65-85 percent on textbook costs, such as renting textbooks. You pay a fraction of the cost and don't have to deal with the angry mobs that swarm the bookstores during buyback season.

Also, they plant a tree for every transaction, which helps to ease the environmentally concerned conscience. However, if you're like me and like to keep the books you buy, perhaps investing in eTextbooks is the way to go. Services like Coursesmart.com not only save you money but also save trees while providing a reliable service.

Having textbooks conveniently located on your laptop also makes accessing information from anywhere very easy. No need to haul six heavy books to the library ¬-- it's all there in your computer. Alternatives to buying paper books are only a Google search away.

Don't buy into the overpriced books at the university bookstore if there are better wallet-friendly choices out there.

This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.