Electronic books—a commodity valued by every student who simply loathes carrying a 30 pound backpack throughout the day. Indeed, in this day in age, paper textbooks are almost completely outdated. An ebook can give readers everything, and more, that a paper textbook can provide. Some functions are actually even more convenient on the electronic version. For example, annotations are automatically saved and accessible at any given moment. The sheer number of benefits outweigh supposed “perks” of heavy textbooks. Carrying textbooks throughout the halls of US can be strenuous. It is a painful sight to see fellow students having to carry their large textbooks despite having a thousand-dollar machine that can lessen that load substantially.
Our school motto and culture revolves around tradition. Our student handbook, for example, exudes a tradition of well-suited boys who are prepared and punctual for class. But this has been a challenge to making progress with regards to the way we work. As a freshman, I can say “actively reading” was a difficult concept to adapt to, especially fearing the inevitable pop-quiz. However, moving beyond one-night’s homework, it is clear to see that written work is less productive and less suitable in the real world. We need to advance with technology, not remain in the past. If colleges have adopted e-textbooks, it is clear we should do the same. We have let tradition engulf our schoolwork and morph it into a barrier to efficiency and productivity.
US needs to evolve with time.