Price of Books not included...

As any regular reader to this blog knows, I'm working on my Master's degree. I've been used to high tuition rates and have even come to expect them as I am in a graduate program. After I filed my tuition assistance paperwork and G.I.B. top-up to pay for the tuition bill, I hopped over to the on-line book store to get my books. As I logged in I froze momentarily. It was as if hundreds of voices all screamed out at once, and then where gone forever. No it wasn't mystical cry felt through the Force as some evil galactic empire showing off some new planet destroying weapon but rather my wallet and bank account screaming in abject terror at the price of books.

I'm taking two classes this semester and each class is requiring two books, that's four books total. Not usual at the graduate level, but I'm expecting the average cost of each book to be around $40 may be $50. No such luck. the total cost for this semester's books over $350.00 and that's finding them on sale via Amazon.com rather then from the school book store. (BTW not to plug the site but if you are a college student and have to buy books, you really need to check them out!)

Having to pay tuition is one thing I understand this but getting further raked over the coals via needing a special book?

But wait the coal raking continues. I've convinced a co-worker to go back to school and get his Master's as well (same major/program). He start's this semester and is taking one of the classes this fall that I took in the spring. We did some figuring and it looks like he would be one semester behind me the whole way through the program. Since we're both low payed NCOs made what we though would be a smart economical gentleman's agreement that if I didn't want any book from the current semester, I would be careful and not mark up the books much and sell them to him at half the book store price. (It's just a little more than what the book store would give me but less then he could buy the for.) Great sound like a very great plan for both of us right? And you would be correct except for one minor problem, they decided to change books between semesters, so no such luck.

As I sit here seething, since there is not much I can do about this issue since well I like my school for the most part and really want to get my Master's, all I can do is help publicize the Open Text Book Project.

Well till next time,

Ish

P.S. in case you haven't heard the MBTA's motion's have been denied and the MIT students have been cleared. If I get the time I'll expand on this topic later, in case you don't want to wait check out Groklaw . Here's a link to the PJ's article containing the decision: Judge Lifts Restraining Order: MIT Students Win - Updated. The short of it according to the EFF is:
"The judge today correctly found that it was unlikely that the CFAA would apply to security researchers giving an academic talk," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "A presentation at a security conference is not some sort of computer intrusion. It's protected speech and vital to the free flow of information about computer security vulnerabilities. Silencing researchers does not improve security -- the vulnerability was there before the students discovered it and would remain in place regardless of whether the students publicly discussed it or not." Judge Lifts Unconstitutional Gag Order Against MIT Students