A few days ago I finally learned the true meaning of the phrase "freshman mistake." I guess after a successful first semester I thought I might be immune to such tragedies, but unfortunately I was caught when I least expected it. I am still kind of new to the whole buying your own textbooks process, so when I heard that the bookstore will purchase your old books from you I thought it was a great idea.

Little did I know, like most seemingly great ideas, the offer was too good to be true. After paying nearly $300 for textbooks this fall, I was surprised to find out that my books would earn me a grand total of $1 if I decided to turn them in. Apparently the bookstore was too good for some of my books and the value of my only worthy and once $40 book fell to $1 after opening it once all semester. Until that point in my life I always considered myself to be a good guy, but I soon began to wonder if my touch was really that bad. After this experience I have a few suggestions!

For those of you who had previously considered going the same route as myself. First, just give your books away to friends. Even if you do not have friends, try a stranger, maybe they'll soon become a friend and I'd like to think a friend is worth more than the $0.25 the bookstore will give you.

Second, station a few NDSP officers near the bookstore. I know patrolling the lounges of girls' dorms for people without two feet on the floor is crucial to the survival of the University, but I can assure you that more people were violated in the lobby of the bookstore last night alone than any other place in the history of our fine institution.

Thomas McTaggart

Freshman, Dillon Hall

January 17, 2001

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