2nd Semester 2011 Greetings
Wao! Time flies when you are not having fun! I suppose it does feel like we only vacated yesterday. Sorry folks. Anyway, welcome back. I hope you had a restful break. I say so because 2nd semesters are like crazy times. Believe me. This is the semester that you need to work both hard and smart. On our part (lecturers), we will continue to provide the support that you need.
I will be posting some interesting points for discussion on this blog. Make sure you do not miss a thing. For starters, do you think a used book store (or second hand book store) is a necessity at CPUT? Please let me get your thoughts on this. It will also help if you could justify your position.
Do enjoy the semester.
I will be posting some interesting points for discussion on this blog. Make sure you do not miss a thing. For starters, do you think a used book store (or second hand book store) is a necessity at CPUT? Please let me get your thoughts on this. It will also help if you could justify your position.
Do enjoy the semester.
yes i think it is a necessity due to several reasons which include
ReplyDeletesome texts book are not used intensively but are required in our courses, buying in a second hand book store means lower costs for one might need the book for a shorter period maybe for a semester or for a year
not everyone can affrod buying new text book for they will be a bit expensive
yes, because most of the books that we are using as students they are not affordable, and we end up braking the law by making copies of the book because of being desparate, and at the same we want to make an easy solutions in order for us to have books.used books will help a lot because it means when not having enough cash and looking for books at low price we will just go there and help ourselves.
ReplyDeleteAccording to my experience and observations, I would say a second hand bookshop is really a necessity here at CPUT. Firstly, the prices of the books at the Van Schaik Bookshop are beyond reach of many students. The cost of the books is very high that only a handful of the CPUT students afford them. There are very few books which are bellow R200 on the above named bookshop and a student, on average needs about 4 to 6 textbooks every year. This is way above a general student who depends on a bursary as a reasonable number of students is being paid for by bursaries and scholarships as above R1 000 is required per student every year.
ReplyDeleteMany students even prefer to buy photocopies (which is illegal) in an effort to have something to read from and to a greater extent minimising expenditure. The information on the new book which might be sold by Van Schaik Bookshop going for R400 contains similar information to a photocopy of a similar book and also to a second hand book which might be going for R250 hence a student can save towards buying another textbook.
Most of the textbooks which are sold at Van Schaik Bookshop are the prescribed textbooks on most of the Courses offered at CPUT hence student do not have choice besides buying these expensive textbooks. Offering a second hand bookshop gives a choice to students who can not afford the new books. This can save time for students who do not have choice for affordable books. These students, after being inhibited by the price, spend much of their time in the library trying to research from different books in the library in an effort to compliment what can be obtained from a single textbook (expensive from Van Schaik bookshop).
Despite the competition and the threat on the market share a second hand bookshop can pose towards the Van Schaik Bookshop, the benefits for the students overweighs the benefits for the Van Schaik Bookshop hence a second hand bookshop becomes a sigh of relief to most students. With the above observations and experience, a second hand bookshop is a necessity at CPUT.
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ReplyDeleteFirstly I would say every action that takes place has an effect to both the business and community. As students they are financial challenges that are very high which usually create challenging conditions of being able to support themselves. If it was that most students earn very little to support themselves so this means providing second hand book would support them and relation to the financial support from their earnings. Each student does not only have to buy one book but as many as the courses being done which makes it difficult to have the full resources to use. Education is valueless if we do not have the right resources to use.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand business consider these book shops as killing their market were as they lack the consideration that it is also these businesses that under pay these students. If only the business sector can provide good incomes for these students them we can say that they are destroying the industry. Its very challenging for individuals to purchase new books because not all can afford them. Unless if we say that only the rich can be educated can we come to a point that we can say lets not have a second hand book store. This means if education is said to be for everyone then lets provide the books to them. This may even provide the stabilization of prices for books because they has been monopolization of a few firms that charge exorbitant prices for textbooks. It’s a benefit in that they may provide a fair price which can be affordable. Currently they are text books costing more than R2000 which an underpayed student is expected to buy.
On top of this is this book shop not assisting in the education of the nation as a whole. Also legally is it not allowed for anyone to venture in to a business that one may chose to as long as you can meet the set regulation of the state. They is no one who has a right to stop anyone to start a business that is the job of the law. And besides it also helps to reserve our resources we don’t need to have paper being produced all the time but lets use what we have because business will never be more important than preserving these resources for the future.
A second-hand book shop from a student perspective would be a great idea because of the numerous advantages that have been mentioned above. However from an entrepreneurial perspective, it has a negative impact on business for example Van Schaik would lose out on a lot of sales. This would also negatively affect the authors and copyright owners of the educational materials and resources we use because of loss of royalties and other benefits on their part. This would lead to demotivation on their part which could compromise the quality of educative materials they would produce and we would receive in the long-run.
ReplyDelete