Today is like Christmas to school bookstores. All the products arranged nicely on shelves and row for students to find when the store opens at 9:00AM. On the other hand, students are battling to find their proper textbook, recommended by their Prof, to guarantee the A+ GPA at the end of the semester. Let the textbook war begin.
Much of the war actually isn't battled on the physical front, with students standing in the trenches to get to the cash register. No the most aggravating battle is held behind the scenes. It's the battle of the price bargains, the adequate amount of time for the exchange, the quality of product. No, this is the secret battle. As a 5th year student having studied at UofA and NAIT. I'm fairly immersed in the ways of the secret battle. It's a battle of superior cunning and marketing skills, used and orchestrated by students. On the surface, bookstores may be offering your textbooks for $100-$300. The smell of new textbooks, quality paper, unopened pages may be enticing to many but veterans of the battle know better. On a much quieter front, students are placing orders for high quality merchandise for a far greater cost. Sometimes it can be even more than half the original price. A $200 new textbook could be yours for $90. Obviously UofA and NAIT have ways to combat their foes by placing regulations of profs saying that they must indicate a textbook or upgrading the edition of the book every 2-3 years. But most students would take the risk if it could save them a few $100's. Average each textbook costs $100. A regular full time student takes 5 classes (5*100 = $500) Tuition for the classes ($6,500 + $500 = $7000) Living expenses for rent and utilities ($700/month + $7000 = $7,700) Food expenses ($150 + $7,700 = $7,850) This is the bare minimum possibly of expenses. You can see very quickly why students resort to cheaper alternatives. So though using Facebook chats to make deals may be a bit risky at times, maybe the cause is worth it.
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Jane HaoHi. I'm Jane and I'm a recent graduate. I wanted to record some fun events and memories on my blog. Archives
April 2020
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