<p>Damn, someone caught on to our secret deal with the textbook publishers…</p>
<p>Seriously - have you looked at the textbook lists on the bookstore website? I think that would answer a lot of your questions. But here goes:</p>
<p>Textbooks are very discipline-specific. On one end, a math or science course might require only one or two textbooks, but probably expensive ones ($100-150). On the other end, an upper-level literature course might require five to ten, but significantly less expensive ones ($5-20). That’s where the $800-900 estimate comes from. Though FWIW, I wouldn’t have spent that much this year even had I bought every single required textbook - more like $500 - and I think most of my friends had similar bills.</p>
<p>It is not the case that “the average student needs 40 textbooks per academic year”. It really really truly depends on what you’re studying, which is why it’s so important to look at the actual book lists and prices for actual courses your D plans to take.</p>
<p>Whether you need to buy books or just borrow them from the library depends on your own study habits. For example, as a classics / chemistry student, I buy Greek and Latin works and chemistry texts, which I know I’ll want to write in extensively, but often borrow literature in translation, which I just need to read.</p>
<p>And for what it’s worth, the number of textbooks required at Oberlin, and the amount that I paid for them, was consistent with both the courses I took at Local Public U and the courses my friends have taken at other top LACs. If you don’t believe me, check out the book information at the [url=<a href=“http://www.bookstore.swarthmore.edu/ePOS?store=333&form=shared3%2Ftextbooks%2Ftext_browse.html&design=333&campus=MAIN&__session_info__=I01p7fV4Y2t6EmPO6n6ounQht%2FkPDSQ50P4Asp%2BaTUi%2FGbECCsgYwVVnZZ4%2F0kGz2hnSvB6zL7cng6hIByUfAxg%2BTUwDzCWM]Swarthmore[/url”>http://www.bookstore.swarthmore.edu/ePOS?store=333&form=shared3%2Ftextbooks%2Ftext_browse.html&design=333&campus=MAIN&__session_info__=I01p7fV4Y2t6EmPO6n6ounQht%2FkPDSQ50P4Asp%2BaTUi%2FGbECCsgYwVVnZZ4%2F0kGz2hnSvB6zL7cng6hIByUfAxg%2BTUwDzCWM]Swarthmore[/url</a>] or [url=<a href=“Official Online Store”>Official Online Store]Wesleyan[/url</a>] college bookstores.</p>