Word on the Quad — The cost of required reading

Berkeley City College

by Jalaya Briggs, Farhad Golriz, and Luke Wrin Piper, Staff Writers

Photo by Scott Barkley, courtesy of Flickr

We visited Berkeley City College campus to ask students the following questions:

-What’s the most expensive textbook you’ve ever had to buy?

-What’s the most you’ve spent on textbooks in one semester?

-Have you ever been required to buy a book your professor authored?

Simone Mitchell — Undeclared. Photo by Luke Wrin Piper.

“My medical terminology textbook cost $186 exactly. The most in one semester was $250.”

Ambrood Korin — Electrical Engineering. Photo by Luke Wrin Piper.

“The Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Edition 8 cost $284. My Chemistry 1A lab manual was written by the professor for the class and we were required to buy it.”

Miguel Martinez — Undeclared. Photo by Luke Wrin Piper.

“$180 for a calculus textbook. $240 overall including my Intro to Visual Culture book.”

Jayla Goler — Political Science. Photo by Luke Wrin Piper.

“$70 for an economics book and $100 total.”

Irani Mendez — Physics. Photo by Luke Wrin Piper.

“I spent $200 overall and $150 on a textbook for physics.”