One of my professors, instead of a textbook, created his own wiki-style online resource for the class. Completely free, frequently edited with improvements
One of the best classes I’ve ever taken
Another one picked a textbook that was available online for free through the university’s library =)
One of the first things I learned was to never buy books before the first class.
I had a professor get upset no one had the book on day 1. In her defense, she heavily used the book.
She couldn’t understand that professors would make students a buy a book and never use it.
In another class a student had asked about the book a few days in, the professor’s response was “we have a book?” He inherited the class last minute and didn’t have time to look through all the materials.
My favorite was my cultural geography class (amazing class btw) where the prof told us not to buy the book and handed out 3 ring binders to everyone with the entire book printed out in them😂
That is one busty gentleman.
That’s what I thought!!
They promised to teach you how the world works didn’t they? Enjoy your undischargable debt indentured servant!
The US is strange
It’s all very normal when you recognize how much of our institutional structure is corrupted by profit-seeking.
Its no different than a police officer taking a bribe to let you out of a speeding ticket. Or a customs official demanding a kick-back to let a ship unload its cargo. Or a mafia goon shaking down a local storefront for “protection” money. Just institutionalized so there’s no risk of being punished.
There’s nothing strange about unfettered greed. The only strange part is that it isn’t (technically) a feudal system going along with it.
