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Volume 124 Issue 2
kansan.com
MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006
TAKING CHARGE
Lawrence leads Manhattan in
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
INK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY. AUGUST 18, 2011
PAGE 27
MONEY
Bookstore may actually help save money
The staff at the KU Bookstore, pictured here from within its Memorial Union location, help students find and purchase textbooks.
CHRISTY NUTT editor@kansan.com
The staff at the KU Bookstore wants students to get the best materials at the lowest price, even if it means that students purchase their books from a different company.
"At the end of the day, we want students to feel good about their purchase," said Estella McCollum, KU Bookstore director.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
The KU Bookstore added a price comparison tool to its website last summer. The tool allows students to compare the price of new, used and rentable textbooks from KU Bookstore, Amazon and Half Price Books. Students can purchase from any of the three companies on the KU Bookstore's website.
"We did this to build trust. We want to be honest with students and understand there are many different options out there," McCollum said.
said. The tool also helps the KU Bookstore set competitive prices.
Staff at the KU Bookstore saw an increase in sales since they began the price comparison, McCollum
McCollum said the bookstore gets a small commission from purchases made with Amazon and Half from its website.
"We know where to increase prices to make up for lost profits," McCollum said.
The KU Bookstore also offers textbook rental. The amount saved by renting is different for every book, but generally is around 50 percent off of the new retail price, McCollum said.
"Renting is not necessarily solving the price issue of textbooks," McCollum said.
"It is usually a better deal for students to buy the book used and sell it back at the end of the semester," McCollum said. Renting can be a good option for students that don't have the money upfront to purchase the book used.
that the other companies don't
McCollum said the bookstore has a responsibility to provide the correct material and if there is a problem it will make it right. The bookstore does not take responsibility for returns or exchanges made through the other companies.
Renting is ideal when the edition is not going to be used again because the book will have little to no buyback value at the end of the semester, McCollum said. However, students don't always know when an edition is going to be replaced.
Although the KU Bookstore assists students to purchase books from other companies, the bookstore has a commitment to students
"We are the official bookstore for the University, so we do whatever we can to work with students to make sure they get the books they need," McCollum said.
CAMPUS
Tutoring, other help, can make transition easier
MONISHA BRUNER
mbruner@kansan.com
As incoming freshmen, information can all be thrown at you at one time. The University's campus has several services to help you during your college years. Many services are free or cost students very little. Besides services, there are places and tips that will help you navigate college life.
If you are having trouble or need additional help in a class, tutoring services offers three hours of tutoring a week for the entire year. They provide tutors for more than 50 classes. The cost is $75 dollars; however, the office allows students to apply for a partial fee waiver if you have filled out the FAFSA. Classes at the reduced rate is $15.
Mary Ann Rasnak, director of the academic achievement access center, said in an email, "The thing that
I am really proud of is that we have students who use the services when they are freshman and sophomores, and then they become tutors. The important thing is tutoring is not just for people who are in danger of failing, there can be people who just want to get the best grade, do their best and be sure they understand the information and then they can become tutors."
Rasnak said that it plans on serving more than 1,000 students this year. The tutoring service is located in Strong Hall.
Writing a paper can be difficult and having an extra pair of eyes always helps. The University offers free writing assistance with the KU Writing Center. Martha Jerrim, assistant director of KU Writing Center, said the center saw 6,416 total consultations with writers for the 2010-2011 school year. Nine hundred of those were online.
"Having another pair of eyes to look at your work can be beneficial to your writing. It can be anything from brainstorming ideas to a final polish on citations or anything in between that's what consultants are here to help with." Jerrim said.
If you need help editing your paper, making sure ideas flow in place, or just some feedback the writing center is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and located in Anschutz Library. They also read and edit papers online.
The University has a team to help manage your money. You don't have to make an appointment, but they recommend that you do. The Money Management office is located at 300-B in the Kansas Union.
The Office of Student Financial Aid has a priority date of March 1 to turn in FAFSA. You can submit your FAFSA after that, but people who submit by March 1 have priority on those who don't. You can begin to fill out your FAFSA every year on January 1. There are some situations that can change your priority. To find out where you stand, make an appointment with the Financial Aid office.
It's hard not to want to live up the summer at the pool all day, but you might want to consider looking for internships. Erin Wolfram, the assistant director of the University Career Center, said in an email that there are several benefits to having internships:
One thing most learn after they have enrolled in class is that Fraser and JRP are not next to each other. If you schedule ten minutes to get from one class to the other make sure you know where each building is located.
-They can build their network and learn more about career opportunities and gain contacts for their
future job search.
- They can build transferable skills that will be valuable in any career they pursue.
- They can add valuable experience to their resume that will make them more marketable in their future job search and have experiences to draw from in interviews.
There is a system called KU Career Connections. Employers will contact the careers centers on campus and let them know that they have internship opportunities. All internships will be posted for free in the KU Career Connections system. There are four different career center offices on campus. The University Career Center is located in room 110 Burge Union and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Used Books
bookstore recently began offering price comparisons between its own prices, Amazon.com and Half. com.
Rentals cost 61 percent less than new print textbooks and could reduce the yearly amount spent on textbooks, according to Student PIRGs, an organization consisting of college students that looks at the rising cost of college.
"We are the non-profit store for the University," Rourke said. "Every profit that we make goes right back into student success such as the Student Union Activities (SUA) and the campus radio station,
But while students can save money renting or buying online, the bookstore prides itself on being there for students even after they've bought their textbooks.
"There was one student that said, It was the best idea that KU has ever had." Rourke said.
Renting textbooks has also become a more popular option among students.
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH WISE/KANSAN
Index CLASSIFIEDS 2B CRYPTOQUIPS 4A SPORTS 1B CROSSWORD 4A OPINION 5A SUDOKU 4A
Don't forget
The UDK will continue to keep students and others up-to-date through our new mobile app and a stronger social media presence. You can find The University Daily Kansan's mobile app on Android and in the iTunes store. We've also re-branded our Twitter accounts to reflect our redesign and added more accounts. To stay updated on news on campus and around Lawrence, follow us at @UDK_News. For the latest on KU sports teams, follow @UDK_Sports. And to read opinion
Kansan.com will also be getting a new look in the coming months. To complement our print redesign, we're striving to make Kansan.com an online destination for students. We want you to check out our exclusive content, watch Web videos and daily KUJH-TV broadcasts and talk with our football and basketball writers during games in live chats hosted on the website. If you have ideas of what you'd like to see on our website, let us know.
out the day to bring news to students and alumni.
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Today is the first day of classes. Don't forget to go to yours or you could fail.
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Though The UDK is undergoing a gamut of changes, one thing hasn't change: We're still the student voice. We're your voice. So, let us know what you think. What do you think of our redesign? What do you want to see in the paper, on TV and online? Send an email to editor@kansan.com and let us know. After all, that's why we're here.
Another change will debut on Friday, Sept. 2 before Kansas takes on McNeese State at Memorial Stadium. Friday papers before home football games will have an expanded sports section sponsored by the Wave, our sports magazine, and will include game predictions and analysis. The paper will be tabloid-style like Jayplay, our weekly lifestyle magazine, and don't worry, we'll still have our regular news, opinion and entertainment content.
facebook page, too.
Stroda is editor-in-chief of The University Daily Kansan. She is a senior from Salina.
Today's Weather
Forced坐考 by University students. For a more detailed foretalk see page 2A.
HI: 92
L0: 71
at least it's not 100!