Re: why is college so expensive?
 

Isn't your GI Bill paying for this? :D

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

thats the sad part, my 500 per semester for books didnt cover this. but yes its paying tuition and most of the dorm room.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

I guess that is a bright spot then.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

yeah 9k per-semester is paid for

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

The more I read about the current state of American universities the more I'm convinced it's not much more than a ponzi scheme.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

My first semester I paid as much for books as for classes ($1500). The only reason it wasn't like that other semesters was they allowed us to use e books and CSU tuition went through the roof. My last semesters tuition cost me twice as much as my first semester! I graduated in December, but word is it went up another good chunk before spring semester.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

There were always a couple copies in the library for all of my classes. Couldn't check them out, but could go sit there and read for free or photocopy needed pages for a few cents/page.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

Haha I feel your pain brotha, just spent 500 on my finance book

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

:tpd: ^^^ What he said.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

I don't get why all college books, and high school books for that matter, aren't electronic. I mean Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press around 1440. Do you think after nearly 700 years we could move on to another form of media? Perhaps one that is free to distribute?

I'm not suggesting we do away with copyrights, just the bulk of the cost which is printing and distribution.

Logistics is a great way to go.

And Devan, there are jobs out there. I'm on my 3rd one (by choice) since I graduated in May of 2010 with a double major in Accounting & Finance. Don't let the economy scare you too much. Start applying for internships nice and early - that experience means the world.

EDIT: I just realized I didn't address your topic at all. It is a scam. I had one class where the professor wrote the book and it was "required". Such a rip.
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Re: why is college so expensive?
 

Once the format becomes obsolete, the electricity goes out, the battery dies, you drop your reader, or whatever; then where are you? Books are already perfect the way they are, and require nothing else in order to read. All electronic media requires hardware, software and power support in order to function. A book requires only itself.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

yeah just getting out of the army and havent started school. So hopefully ill get an idea what kind of jobs to apply for threw this year of experience.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

My last semester they had just started offering most books in electronic forms. I got one book like that bc it was a ton cheaper, but I discovered I prefer to have a hard copy. Highlighting and flipping pages checking you're scribbled margin notes is a lot more effective, IMHO, on a hard copy than an electronic one.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

University is about learning how to learn and think which in turn increases your long term earning potential. Except for very specific fields like medicine, law, engineering, etc it's not (unfortunately) about going to school to get a job. It definitely pays off in the long run, especially given that an undergrad degree is no longer considered something special or unique by most professional employers. Not having one in those fields is like coming to the poker table without ante stakes... you don't get to join the game.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

I'd like to see how much the professors and university administrators rake in every year in salaries...

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

For public institutions, you should be able to request a copy of the budget at the library. It should include a breakdown of salaries by name/department. I would imagine that it would be available both in print and electronic formats.

For private schools, well, good luck with that one.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

In other words, your average educator earns in a year about what your average corporate scumbag steals in a week . . . or a good day. :r

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

This. For example I currently work as a senior IT admin in a public health authority (completely unrelated to my degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry btw), my father was a toxicology professor and my uncle-in-law a history prof.. both retired as full profs at the top of their institutions pay scales. 10 years into my career I make about $12K - $15K more than my uncle and about $5K less than my father, compared to wages at retirement in both cases. Academics is not a profession to choose if your career ambition is to become wealthy.

Re: why is college so expensive?
 

Try and pay that over here.....more like double the $$$$$ for that many!