I survived the first week of the fall semester with more excitement than anxiety. Logging into Canvas, I was greeted by a full dashboard: five classes, 15 units. The emails started rolling in, and I immediately dove into the syllabi—page by page—to catch all the critical due dates, office hours, rubrics, Zoom links, and, of course, the dreaded textbook lists.

To buy or not to buy? That’s always the question. As students and parents know all too well, textbooks are outrageously expensive, rentals expire at the worst times and buy-back rates are laughable. A book purchased for $150 might return a Jackson—or, if you’re lucky, a Jackson and a Lincoln.

So, I did what every seasoned student does: jotted down the ISBNs and scoured the internet for the holy grail—a free PDF. That search triggered a flashback to my early community college days, back when I was juggling school and full-time work with four young kids.

Burned into my memory, I’ll never forget the day I bought my first big textbook. Price tag? $250. Standing in the campus bookstore, I turned the book over, wide-eyed and in disbelief.

Two hundred and fifty dollars? For a single book?

Hesitant but desperate, I asked the cashier if it was a mistake. She gave me an apologetic smile and explained, No, that was the price. But then came the lifeline:

Don’t worry, you can sell it back at the end of the semester.

I can get my money back?

Relieved. That was precisely what I needed to hear. In the blink of an eye, I was feeling great. This was like having money sitting in a no-interest savings account.

Throughout the semester, I treated that book like a priceless work of art. Not a single mark inside. I even had a silly thought and wondered if plastic book covers existed, like the ones my granny used on her sofas back in the day. But then I was struck by another flashback- falling asleep on that well-preserved, shrink-wrapped sofa during one scorching summer day... I quickly changed my mind.

At the end of the semester, book pristine and still smelling new, I strolled back to the bookstore with a bounce in my step. I was eager to get my hard-earned $250 back…

To my readers, I apologize; I think I need a moment to reflect on how naive and inexperienced I was. Looking back, it still stirs something inside me because as I slid the book across the counter, the cashier glanced at the textbook, shook his head slowly, and delivered the crushing blow:

I’m sorry. We’re not accepting this book for buy-back.

Reality hit, and it hit like a cast-iron frying pan to the back of the head. All along, this thing was worthless.

Thankfully, times have changed. Before I wrap up, I want to acknowledge what I call the Angels of Academia—the professors, adjuncts, lecturers, and instructors who choose open-educational-source or no-cost textbooks. Their choice isn’t just about saving students money; it’s about saying, “Your focus belongs on learning.” That decision eases the financial burden in more ways than one.

Apparently, the professor—who had boasted all semester about authoring the book—had made so many errors that it was discontinued. My $250 “investment” was nothing more than a paperweight. I kept wondering how this book was ever approved for publication and sold to community college students. With a mix of anger and disbelief, I tossed it into the nearest dumpster. To this day, that experience resurfaces every time I prepare for a new semester.

As I shake off the ghosts of overpriced textbooks past, I’m settling into this new semester with gratitude, resilience, and just the right amount of humor. I’ll leave you with this:

Book Tips & Resources for Students (and Parents)

• Always check your library’s reserves before purchasing.

• Check your college for book vouchers and/or scholarships.

• Explore the internet for open-source textbook databases.

• Compare online rental vs. purchase prices before committing. Be sure to check rental expiration dates.

• And yes—sometimes, that free PDF really does exist.

Here’s to another semester of learning, laughter, and hopefully smarter book choices.

I’d love to hear from you: What’s the worst or funniest textbook story you’ve experienced?

-Adrienne