In another attempt to cut costs at college, some students are sharing their textbooks. This option may work for some and may not work for others. You are definitely saving money by lowering your bookstore bill. You may even benefit from seeing what your partner has highlighted and noted. However, you should seriously consider your schedules and your partner’s habits before sharing a textbook.
Reasons not to share a college textbook:
1) Sharing the time
It can often be difficult to figure out who gets the book when. Maybe you need it to finish a paper, but your partner needs it to study for the test. You have to figure out a way to share. Some students choose to scan pages into their computer to be sure they have the pages they need.
You also need to decide who gets to take the textbook home on weekends. How are you going to get assignments done for Monday without a textbook?
2) Professors
If you are in the same class, chances are your professor doesn’t like shared textbooks. Most want to see each student with their own textbooks on their own desk (especially during an open booked test). It’s always embarrassing to have a professor lecture you on remembering to bring your “own” book to class.
3) Your partner’s habits
If your partner likes to read with a big cup of coffee and pop-tart, you can probably expect to see stained pages stuck together or crumbs smashed between the pages. If their food leftovers don’t bother you, then skip this particular con.
4) Where they take the book
Remember, they are going to use and abuse your shared book wherever. If your partner likes to study in the bathroom, think about those germs. If your partner takes the book with him on his beach vacation, hope he doesn’t lose it.
5) Class schedules
If you have the class at 10:00 and your partner at 1:00, you are going to have to find a time in between to meet and hand over the book. This may mean sitting in a building an extra hour or walking the whole way across campus.
So sharing a book has a few pros and quite a few cons. You may save a few dollars by sharing a book. However, over 15 weeks, a lot can happen to that book between two people. It has double the chance of getting lost or ruined. It also can seriously affect your studying time and assignment work.
Some people may share a book and have no problems. Their schedules work out and they can equally divide time. Other people make promises they can’t keep, and you may end up not having enough time with the book to properly get your work done. Know that sharing a textbook is an option to save money, but also be sure to know the person you may share with. You can usually buy cheap college textbooks online and have your own copy to use whenever you feel like.
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