When it comes to the rising costs of college textbooks, students and parents alike cringe at the thought of just how much they will need to shell out, and whether or not such costs are worthwhile.

Unfortunately, the outcomes of both concerns are almost always not positive. In fact, they’re usually met with anger and frustration. New or used, the value of college textbooks is almost always more due to it’s demand, by way of the college courses requiring them than what is actually contained in the textbooks themselves. A recent article in the The Michigan Daily highlights this daunting, and downright outrageous predicament many students and parents face each and every semester. A major sticking point of the piece is just how much the price of textbooks has increased - nearly 88% in fact, between 2006 and 2016 - more than tuition and school-related items over that span, and over 1000% since the 1970s.

Because of these incredibly exorbitant costs, higher education finds itself in crisis mode, one of minimum affordability and maximum liability where students are financially concerned. But all is not lost, as there are ways and means to curb textbook costs. Addressing the need to improve studying, BarCharts Publishing was founded, along with its creation of QuickStudy, a brand of flow-chart format course outlines (aka: study guides), synonymous with education and the academic curriculums of K-12 schools, and especially, higher education institutions. Since 1991, college and university students have relied on our extensive lineup of QuickStudy Study Guides, as not only a vital tool to their coursework success, but one of the most cost-effective means in curbing the repetitive financial burden that are college textbooks. 

Below are some of our most highly sought after study guides:

You may also view our entire catalog of over 750+ QuickStudy Laminated Study Guides here.

At a fraction of the cost, QuickStudy study guides cover enough coursework material to not only serve as your primary outline for the most important information found in most college textbooks, but a time and money saving compendium to better study from as well. Best of all, there is ZERO fluff, meaning you get only the information you need without extensive pages and chapters of unnecessary information. Less trees + more factual content = a conscious learning experience with a better impact on your test results and the environment.

And if digital is your preferred planet-friendly format, you may find the right digital study guide for you through:

Altogether, the cost of attending college has skyrocketed to the point that it's commonplace for undergrad and graduate students to be met with overwhelming debt upon finishing their respective degrees. Factor in living expenses, and lest we forget, course materials - like textbooks, and you’ll find yourself wondering if you’ll be able to afford to exist on campus at all. And with many students now passing on purchasing college textbooks altogether, BarCharts Publishing and its QuickStudy lineup continues to be a leading influence for a better, more effective means to learn quick, and learn smart!