The divisive Husky Book Bundle allows some people to quickly obtain their books for a fixed cost each semester. However, for many students, the $285 price point is an unnecessary charge, as books are getting cheaper due to digitized versions replacing the big and bulky textbooks of the past—if they are required at all. What does the Life section have to say about all this?
Benjamin Lassy, Life Editor (he/him/his)
As one of the elusive history majors on campus, I have to say that the Husky Book Bundle has been a blessing in disguise throughout my past three years at UConn. Nearly every history class requires a textbook, but many depend on three or four. It’s a lot to keep track of and, when the list of books gets above 10, things start to fall apart.
The pure convenience of the Husky Book Bundle makes it a double-edged sword, but for now, let’s look at the immediate positives. Those 10 books are now sorted by class, given a UConn Bookstore price, packaged in decent materials and then either shipped to you or ready for pick-up in time for the first day of classes. It’s pretty much perfect. But, if it seems too good to be true at UConn, then there’s obviously some money-grabbing scheme going on behind the scenes.
I have enjoyed the Husky Book Bundle for three years, but as a fourth-year senior starting this semester and shifting focus away from history to a computer-based major, GIS, I almost got charged the $285 for one book. A book for a class I didn’t need to take. I now understand the disdain for the Book Bundle: It’s a business scheme. For those who didn’t really realize what they were signing up for, the university easily pockets a profit. So, be careful out there, if you’re like most UConn students (i.e. not a history major), the Book Bundle makes absolutely no sense.
James Fitzpatrick, Associate Life Editor (he/him/his)
I have a bone to pick with the Husky Book Bundle, and it can be summed up in one word: greed. I remember being at the University of Connecticut’s Waterbury campus when the Book Bundle was launched, and for how small that campus is, there was a disproportionate number of banners saying how good of a deal it is. I won’t act like I had a better intuition than others when it came out, but there wasn’t a chance I was ever planning on participating in the program, and that’s coming from an English major who frequently needs new books.
Also, it’s quite a pain to get it canceled. They take the classic “Are you sure you’re sure you want to cancel?” and that’s when it confirmed to me that it’s a cash grab. Most professors thankfully don’t require the newest editions of textbooks to succeed in their classes, and they sometimes provide the books if they’re old enough. I even had a professor recently express her disdain for the books in her class being on backorder for students with the Book Bundle, which you would think wouldn’t happen with all the money UConn rakes in from the program.
I’ll leave readers with this: If I opted into the Book Bundle, or more accurately, didn’t opt out of the program, my $28 lab manual would’ve cost me $285. I obtained the rest of my books for free, so this would’ve been a 1000% markup!
Hayden Cromer, Campus Correspondent (he/him/his)
To put it bluntly, I don’t think that the Husky Book Bundle is worth it at all. As someone who fell victim to the Husky Book Bundle due to laziness, I am a big advocate for opting out and getting your $285 back.
You can do a lot with $285. That’s like 285 AriZonas, which is a lot of AriZonas. Even if your books cost more than $285, you can get them through other, cheaper means, including eBay, your upperclassman friend or a very legal and very legitimate alternative method.
If you are worried about not getting a code for iClicker, TopHat, Cengage or whatever subscription-based website a class makes you use, you’ll just have to bite the bullet and buy a subscription yourself. For some, an iClicker remote may be a great long-term investment, ranging from $20 to $60+ depending on where you look, or even for $0 if you borrow from friend. But please, opt out of the Husky Book Bundle. Don’t get lazy like me because they have you jump through all the hoops in the world just to opt out. Jump through them! Don’t lose your $285!
Dan Stark, Campus Correspondent (he/him/his)
I think the merits of the Husky Book Bundle depends on your major. As a journalism and political science major, I typically don’t have to buy many books, if any, for my classes, as most readings are either posted to HuskyCT or can be found for free—and legally—online. The most I’ve had to spend on textbooks was $200 this semester, which is still substantially less than the $285 cost of the bundle.
Abigail Krim, Campus Correspondent (she/her/hers)
I’m playing a little bit of devil’s advocate here. I have the super unpopular opinion that the book bundle can be worth it. It’s not possible to have a definitive answer for every single student across the board, but for some, it’s worth it.
For example, this semester I have a class with 11 required books. That class alone covers the $285 fee. If I didn’t take this class and only had one or two books, I would’ve canceled my book bundle as soon as I could.
I encourage every student to look into each course you’re enrolled in and what they require. In the end, it is truly up to you! If you think the book bundle may be worth it for you, don’t let people talk you out of it. I recommend freshmen keeping the book bundle for their first semester. You have too much on your plate the fall of freshman year to worry about finding alternative ways to get your books. Figure out how to be a college student first, find books elsewhere later!