In today’s fast-paced world, many things are becoming digitized. Clocks, calendars, and notebooks are slowly starting to fall out of fashion in favor of apps and programs that perform the same function. When eBooks arrived on the scenes in the early 2010s, they were met with some controversy, and while I’ve always remained neutral on the eBook/physical book debate (I buy both), I find myself using digital textbooks fairly often. That being said, I’ve noticed a number of pros and cons of the format that you should consider if you’re considering switching to digital textbooks.
(note: this article is based on my experiences using the Kindle app by Amazon and the Nook app by Barnes and Noble).
Pros:
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It’s one less thing you have to carry, and you don’t have to worry about forgetting to bring your textbook to class
Nearly every college student knows the struggle of lugging lots of supplies across campus, and having heavy textbooks certainly doesn’t help. I’m also certain that nearly every college student has forgotten a relevant textbook at home or in their dorm at some point (I know I have). Digital textbooks can help ameliorate these issues simply because they aren’t physical books. As long as you remember your computer or tablet (which for some reason tend to be a lot harder to leave behind on your desk), you’ll be set for all of your classes.
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You can zoom in if you have trouble reading small print
I’ve been wearing bifocals since I was 11, so it’s safe to say that reading small print isn’t exactly my strong suit. In middle and high school I sometimes encountered difficulty reading from my textbooks because the text was so small. Most ebook platforms give you the option to change the size of the text, so if doing homework tends to result in eyestrain for you, using digital textbooks is a good solution.
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You can make annotations right in the textbook
Arguably, the biggest advantage to buying textbooks is that nobody is going to stop you from highlighting and writing in them, but in what textbook is there actually enough room to make notes? Both the Kindle and Nook apps give you the option of highlighting texts (in different colors!) and making annotations that can be accessed through a sidebar. If you’re the kind of person who needs to write things down in order for them to stick, digital textbooks could be a big asset for you.
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They could save you money
eBooks tend to be less expensive than physical books in general, and this applies to textbooks too (admittedly, to a lesser extent). Especially if you rent them, digital textbooks can be less than half of the price you’d pay for a physical copy. If one of your required books isn’t a textbook per se–for example, a novel for your English class–then purchasing an eBook is probably the cheapest option. It’s free to sign up for most eBook platforms, so using digital textbooks has the potential to save you a decent amount of money.
Cons:
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The page numbers may be off
This sounds as though it would be a minor inconvenience at worst, but it can lead to confusion over what you’re expected to read. If your professor assigns readings using page numbers (as opposed to chapters or sections), you may end up reading the wrong thing or reading much more or less than you had to. Of course, this can be easily avoided by checking in with classmates or your professor to clarify what’s been assigned, so don’t let this alone dissuade you from using digital textbooks
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Digital textbooks can take up a lot of space on your hard drive
I personally haven’t run into this problem, probably because I have a new-ish model computer with a lot of storage, but if you have an older model computer or tablet or one that doesn’t have a lot of space on its hard drive, I could see how this could become an issue. A single digital textbook may be as big as a gigabyte, which on certain computers or tablets leaves little room to save documents or specific programs you might need for your courses. Needless to say, get to know your device before purchasing digital textbooks. Make sure you know how much storage space it has, and if that’s enough to store everything you need (including digital textbooks).
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Your device could die or malfunction while you’re using the textbook
This one seems obvious, but who hasn’t been caught off guard when any of their devices runs out of battery or begins to act weirdly? Malfunctions tend to sneak up on you, and it may happen while you’re in class or trying to get your homework done. Not to mention, if you download your textbooks from a sketchy website, they may have a virus (please be careful and stick to reputable eBook apps such as Kindle and Nook).
In short, whether or not digital textbooks are right for you depends on your study habits and what technologies you have available to you. If you’re the kind of person who prefers to work online and has a computer that can handle eBooks, I’d say give it a shot, but if you’re old school and tend to prefer pen and paper or don’t have access to technology that would enable you to use an eBook safely and efficiently, then maybe physical books are the better option for you.