Big benefits in re-using textbooks
More university students are buying second-hand textbooks instead of new ones.
It's not difficult for students to get such books as they are available at bookshops near schools. They also buy textbooks from senior students.
Sun Guantian, a second-year student who studies business, began using second-hand textbooks this term. 'Buying used books helps me save a lot of money,' she said.
'For example, a brand new copy of Marketing Theory costs 68 yuan [HK$79], but a second-hand copy only costs 10 yuan,' she said.
Sun said she found there was a big advantage to using second-hand textbooks, because some had supplementary notes and key points underlined.
Li Biyi, a third-year student at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, also prefers second-hand books. Sometimes she borrows used textbooks from senior students if she thinks that a particular course is not of much interest to her. 'Some books become useless after the final exam. It's a waste of resources if every student buys a new book just for the exam,' she said.
Xie Jianming, a journalism student, agrees. 'Unless the final exam is approaching, I hardly touch some of my books. I think some classes are boring and not practical, and the textbooks are just the tool to pass the exam. There's no need to buy a new book for those classes. Just buy a second-hand one or borrow from the older students.'
Wang Haipeng, also a journalism student, said: 'The main function of textbooks is to provide us with knowledge. There is no difference in using a new one or a second-hand one. It is your choice.'
Liu Xiaomei, a teacher at Guangzhou University, said: 'There is a huge number of students on the mainland.If every student re-uses textbooks, as in some developed countries, it could save resources and the environment.'
