How to Reduce the Cost of Textbook

这篇essay讲诉了，教科书的价值是昂贵的，尤其是对贫困地区的孩子来说。然而,对于其他的学生自己的课本,完成他们的课程之后,会将大部分的书将撇开,失去价值。面临这个问题,应该采取一些措施来调整情况,以提升学生的经济负担。

Textbooks are always a great source of burden for students given by their costly prices. Especially for students from impoverished regions and families, it is quite difficult for them afford the cost of textbook. However, for other students who own textbooks, after completing their courses, most of the books will be put aside by them and lose their values. Facing this problem, some measures should be taken to adjust the situation so as to lift students out of the financial burden.

As far as I am concerned, instructors can resort to the following means to help students relieve financial pressure. For example, instructors can encourage their students to borrow or buy books from senior students. Quite a lot benefits can be attained in this way. First, books can be used by as many students as possible, which means resources used to make books can maximize their value. It responds to the world topic of environmental protection today. Second, given that books are much cheaper when they have been ever used, students can enjoy a considerable discount when borrowing them or buying them. This would make it much easier for students, especially those from poor families, to afford the cost of textbook. Third, considering that their books may also be borrowed or bought by the following junior ones, students will pay more attention to protect their books by avoiding scraping or drawing on them. This method also indirectly help students foster their sense of responsibility.

Besides, instructors can, to a large extent, utilize the power of Internet. There are many online libraries which provide e-books or PDF of the original books. Once instructors find such resources related to the designated books, they can send the URL to students so that students can read the books online. Through this method, it is not necessarily for them to buy the costly books any more. By reading online, it can also save the resources used to make papers and print. I believe it will be a trend to use non-printed material due to our awareness of environment protection. Therefore, instructors as well as students can explore and refer to more online resource. Even though e-books or PDF may not be available for some special books, instructors can provide an original one for students to duplicate. This might also help to greatly reduce the cost.

Moreover, instructors can try to cut down the use of textbooks. Even though it is widely admitted that students must read a huge amount of books so as to attain academic success, there are more ways to help them understand what they are learning thanks to the technological success. For example, students learning medicine or cross-cultural communication can rely on some films or videos as auxiliaries to help them absorb knowledge. It has also been discovered that image, together with sound can better excite people’s nerve and thus they can more clearly remember what they have watched and what they have heard. Therefore, using some teaching materials other than books might be another way instructors can consider to reduce cost of textbooks.

Finally, it will be an exciting event for instructors, together with students to found a book club. As I have mentioned above, recycling of textbooks would be an excellent way to reduce cost, while if it is taken serious of by all instructors and students, it would be more efficient and in order. My recommendation is to found a book club with the help of instructors. When senior students finish their courses, they can register in the book club and leave information about which books they want to lend or sell. The staff of the book club could collect all these information and then put them on an official website so that other students can see whether there is book they need. Instructors can also regularly provide the list of designated books to the book club so that it can openly calling for specific registration. Once the operation of this book club is settled, it can benefit both the sellers and buyers and push forward the recycling of those second-hand books.

Therefore, the core to help students address this problem is to avoid directly buying new books. It not only reduces students’ financial burden, but also help protect our environment. The above means are my recommendation to instructors. I believe that there are more ways waiting for exploration and I also believe that, with concerted efforts, books resources can be better utilized and every students can enjoy the process of learning knowledge.