$70 textbooks

I have not been a student for a very long time. Ten years plus. But I have decided to go back to school at night and get my masters. So, yesterday, I head up to The University of Central Oklahoma, better known as UCO, to get my student ID, parking permit, and my books for the one class I am taking.

This one class, is four days a week, 3.5 hours a night, four weeks total, and is all over Chaucer. I didn't know Chaucer had written quite that much and I can't imagine what we are possibly going to study for 56 hours around his writing. But the real kicker, other than being the oldest person after the professors on the entire campus, was going to the bookstore. I had forgotten how much textbooks were!

I find my class listed, and there is only one book above the list, and I am thinking, "whew!" I was afraid I was going to have to buy four or five and spend over $100. A lady comes up who works there and tells me she thinks she has one of the books used and can save me $20, and I'm thinking--"WOOHOO! Cheap book!" And so I glance at the price on the new books to see how much I'm going to have to pay and about have a heart attack. That one book alone was $95! The used price was $65! God Bless that lady for saving me $30!

It made me really angry to have to pay $70 ($65 plus the tax) for a stupid book I one, didn't want in the first place, two, would never read again, and three, would probably get $15 for when I sold it. But that will be a whole other post, I'm sure. Check back at the end of the summer session.