Online textbooks are a way of the future and colleges should be making the switch. There are far more advantages to having online textbooks than ones in print.
Online textbooks are far more accessible than print ones. According to the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of undergraduate college students have internet access available to them. This also means students will not have to pay as much money for textbooks because they will not have to be printed. This will save thousands of dollars each year for students who are trying to make pay for their college.
The HuffPost reports, “the average student will spend an average of $655 on textbooks per semester.” If colleges were to make all textbooks online, their students could save over $1000 per year. There could be a fee for downloading the books, but nothing as expensive as the ones in the college bookstores. This would help students who can not afford their textbooks, or have trouble with finances in general.
Students having textbooks online also presents other advantages. Accessing all textbooks on the internet means that students do not have to haul four or five books around a college campus. This also means students will not have to worry about losing or ruining their textbooks.
College freshman and Pleasant Valley graduate Reece Spangler said, “Having my textbooks all in one place would help for sure. Carrying my stuff is super annoying.” Convenience can be a major factor for college students which online textbooks could help.
Online textbooks would make college less of a hassle for many students who have a hard time with the transition, and for students who have a rough time paying for school in the first place. Colleges should find ways to change their old print books to online ones that are far more beneficial to students.
