WSU students shop smart for textbooks

Entire forests have been cleared to make the books on the second floor of Wayne State’s campus Barnes & Noble. Thousands of pages have been bound together and valued at thousands of dollars.

According to collegeboard.org, the average undergraduate student attending a public institution in-state will have spent an average of $2,096 on textbooks in four years. Although the campus bookstore offers convenience by proximity, it is not the only option for students.

“I always get my textbooks online instead of the campus bookstore, they’re always cheaper there,” said Israel Helms, a WSU sophomore and football player studying electrical engineering. “If it’s cheaper I’ll take it. There is a direct correlation between pricing and my willingness to buy a book.”

The most expensive textbook at the WSU Barnes & Noble is the ninth edition of Mathematics for Elementary Teachers: A Conceptual Approach including a recommended access code required reading for Math 1120. Its price tag reads $430.10 for a new copy, and $322.60 used.

Barnes & Noble only offers rentals at reduced prices for select texts. The book for Math 1120 is one that cannot be rented.

However, it can be found on Amazon, new for $174.98, and used for $96.90, and rented on Chegg.com for $13.99. How is it possible for there to be such a wide discrepancy between the campus bookstore and its competitors?

“By offering rentals, we can use the book multiple times and rent it out profitably for less than what you could buy, new or used,” said Usher Lieberman, vice president of communications at Chegg, Inc. “Along with centralized distribution, the lack of a need for a physical retail space on every campus allows us to save a lot of money, which we can pass along to students.”

Chegg originated as the brainchild of two Iowa State University students in 2001. They realized that to afford their college tuition they needed jobs that required a degree. This cyclical conundrum reminded them of the relationship between a chicken and egg, thus inspiring the name of their company: Chegg.

“Our core customer works hard, is young, motivated, and wants to improve their economic opportunities after they graduate.” Lieberman said. “We want to advocate for the student who doesn’t have anyone else, and that’s what we think about ... the student who has to work hard to make ends meet.”

Despite the existence of alternatives, the campus bookstore is not completely avoidable. It is an integral resource, regardless of its big price tag. Some titles are specific to courses at WSU and are only available through the campus bookstore.

Pre-pharmacy student Kyle Brillantes works as a shoe salesperson to cope with the costs of his higher education. Buying his biology lab manual at retail value was an inarguable strain on his wallet he said.

“My labs are every week, so I know I’m going to use it frequently. I don’t want to spend so much money on books, but I don’t want to be at a disadvantage,” Brillantes said.

For any students currently rearranging their schedules and looking for books, Chegg frequently posts discount codes on their website as they alternate through various promotions. However, if your books are only available on campus, Barnes & Noble is currently offering a 10% off of your purchase upon signing up for their email services.

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