You despise the ones from this semester, and you’ll be forced to buy new ones at the beginning of next semester — textbooks, every student’s dread.
If you’re anything like me, you have no idea what to do with your clunky textbooks at the end of the semester. I’ve actually been compiling a stack of texts in the corner of my room.
I’m always too tired at the end of the semester to deal with them, and they anchor the bottom of my to-do list.
You may feel a growing hatred for those dust collectors. You spent hundreds of dollars on a book you barely cracked open all semester. It’s a constant reminder of those miserable nights when you finally gave in and used it. And if your grades burned you, textbooks are the bad omen of semesters past.
But you should think twice before taking a match to that flammable pile of misery. (Seriously, who burns books anymore? You’re essentially burning money.)
I hail from a state that pays for its schools’ textbooks, but I’ve come to understand that Indiana’s education policy works a little differently.
It’s one of only three states that doesn’t cover the cost of public school textbooks. Parents end up with the burden of rental fees.
The only time I would ever have to pay for a textbook in grade school was if I lost it or I tore it to shreds.
We should be taking pointers from people who value the necessity of books and learning.
This week, the Ferguson Municipal Public Library in Ferguson, Mo., has reached a total of over $350,000 in donations.
While protests seized the town, schools were closed, but the library stayed open. Whether you’ve been watching the news, surfing Twitter or joining in the cause, you know that Ferguson isn’t in the best shape.
But even on the pinnacle of chaos, the community remembered their youth and the importance of education.
I saw several posts over different venues of social media about donations to the library and book drives.
Authors John Green, Veronica Roth and Jay Asher all donated signed copies of their works to the library’s collection.
We can all learn from Ferguson that even during a rough battle between the government and its people, the youth of our country cannot be forgotten.
No, your textbook for media law isn’t signed by a celebrity novelist.
But it was probably paid for by a supporter of your education, whether that be yourself, your parents or a government loan.
The idea here is that despite their bulkiness, their ridiculous selling price and their dense content, textbooks, like all books, provide the opportunity for learning.
I’ve finally decided to sell off my Mount Everest of textbooks. What books I can’t find a buyer for, I’ll give away to whomever needs them.
I wish all of you an eventful winter break. Don’t leave your textbooks lying around; put them to good use. Enjoy your holidays with reading for pleasure.
maehogan@indiana.edu
