Annalog

It’s time to head back to class. And that means ungodly high textbook costs. My textbook (less than one inch) for this summer’s German class is $200. The cost of tuition is already unreasonable. How can students possibly be asked to pay these ridiculous costs in addition to already steep tuition?

Out-of-state tuition in the UC system is one of the highest for an undergraduate education across the country. But UC Berkeley is a public institution, government-backed. An education at Cal is cost-prohibitive and young adults, who might want to go to school, are restricted from doing so. Public education is meant to be open to everyone. It should be a right.But here I am, stuck with a desire to learn and the unfortunate need to buy a textbook that costs the same as a month of food.

I sold an economics textbook back to Ned’s Bookstore in Berkeley. It originally cost about $150. When I sold it back after finishing the class: $1. 

I can’t say that the unreasonable cost of school makes the class worthless. It isn’t. But the cost of public school is today’s world is wrong. Tuition is rising at a faster rate than inflation, and it’s becoming impossible for families to send their children to school. Obvious truisms.

So what’s the solution?

I wish I knew. All I can say: at least I’ll be graduating soon.

In the meantime, I need to go and brave the shrink-wrap on my brand new textbook.