4 ms·

I find it shocking to realise, reading these comments, that the university is requiring you to buy these books in order to pass. I didn't buy a single textbook

I find it shocking to realise, reading these comments, that the university is requiring you to buy these books in order to pass. I didn't buy a single textbook for my entire Maths/Comp Sci degree (only about 5 years ago, at University of Sydney). The maths dept generally didn't use them (they had optional notes books that were just dense maths, generally written by the professor, and cost about $20), and the IT dept...I think had them but I didn't need them and we were never assigned homework from them. The one case where I had an assignment (read: something that was worth marks) assigned from a book, I complained and the professor provided me with a copy of the relevant question. I can understand recommended texts. But I can't understand requiring you to make an additional purchase just to complete assigned work...at that point you're effectively just paying for marks.

fabian2k 10y ago
I suspect this is mostly a US problem, courses there seem to be structures differently than how I experienced it in Germany. With one single exception, all the textbooks I bought were not required, I selected them myself based on recommendations, but I could have chosen to buy different ones or none at all. The textbooks are still expensive, though the non-US editions are around half the price of the US versions. But it's a level of expense that seems justified based on the value I got, at least for the better books.
tamana 10y ago
Oh you don't have to buy the books. You just have to buy a license key so you can submit your homework for credit!
- yitchelle 10y ago
  The cost is not just the purchase of the key. To work effectively at this, you would also have to get access to the a computer and the internet. Both of which are not ubiquitous as, say, electricity and cost money. I understand that this is a 1st world situation, but even in the 1st world, access to a computer and the internet is always possible.

fabian2k 10y ago

I suspect this is mostly a US problem, courses there seem to be structures differently than how I experienced it in Germany. With one single exception, all the textbooks I bought were not required, I selected them myself based on recommendations, but I could have chosen to buy different ones or none at all. The textbooks are still expensive, though the non-US editions are around half the price of the US versions. But it's a level of expense that seems justified based on the value I got, at least for the better books.

tamana 10y ago

Oh you don't have to buy the books. You just have to buy a license key so you can submit your homework for credit!

yitchelle 10y ago
The cost is not just the purchase of the key. To work effectively at this, you would also have to get access to the a computer and the internet. Both of which are not ubiquitous as, say, electricity and cost money. I understand that this is a 1st world situation, but even in the 1st world, access to a computer and the internet is always possible.