By AUSTIN MORTON, Senior Reporter
High prices and late shipping are just a few areas of concern for students buying textbooks from the university bookstore.
Book prices have gradually risen year-over-year, with 2022 being no exception.
A study by the Education Data Initiative shows that the average cost of a textbook has increased by about $20 within the last 10 years.
Northwestern students like business major Justin Meyer say they’ve noticed the price hikes.
“Book prices are always something I hate thinking about when the semester starts,” Meyer said. “I sometimes had to spend a few hundred dollars, but other times not nearly as much. It just really depended on the class.”
High book prices are just one aspect of the bookstore that students say they’ve struggled with. Books for some classes seem to take longer to arrive than others, they say. Some students have waited weeks to receive their books, even if they ordered them at the proper time.
Rachel Beaver, a senior social work major, said she has experienced inconveniences with her textbook purchases.
“I ordered a book for my class when the semester started,” Beaver said. “But I did not get it until a few weeks later. This made it hard for me to get some of my class work done.”
Students who do not rely on the campus bookstore for their books still face issues.
Though they can order books from online retailers like Amazon for a cheaper price, the books are often used and worn.
Meyer said he switched to buying books mostly online during his last few semesters.
“The lower prices are nice,” Meyer said. “But I once got a book that was missing a whole chapter and had to take pictures of my friend’s book to get the pages.”
Whether they buy supplies online or at the book store, students say they’re tired of the difficulties.
“I’m just fed up,” Meyer said.