As classes begin anew, students all over campus are struggling to get school supplies, class schedules and Ibby’s reservations sorted before the harsh realities of reading and problem sets kick in. Yet, many students are left without the option to even know which textbooks they may need for the upcoming semester, as some professors and teachers fail to release that information until the first day of class.

By not publishing their book lists until the first week of classes, professors prevent students from accessing potentially cheaper options and limit the time frame students have to acquire their books. Not only late notice, but also failing to specify edition or requiring books that may not even be used causes students to spend far more on their books than they otherwise should.

As much as we all would love to believe that the Washington University bookstore is an economically sensitive source for students and holds universal education at the true heart of its mission, most of us have realized already that this is not the case. Some textbook prices in the bookstore are more expensive than designer handbags. So, students look for other options.

Online book retailers—like Amazon or Chegg—are often cheaper, but they take time to arrive. Secondhand book purchases are quickly accessed, but only after much effort of finding someone who has the textbook. And given that a lot of professors fail to post book lists ahead of time and then require textbook work in the first couple days of class, time is something that students don’t often have to spare.

Even if a professor posts the book list in advance, sometimes teachers revert their stance in-person and say that the posted book is a suggestion that students can take or leave, or that other—cheaper—versions of the textbook are also acceptable. (The exception to this is the course packs for business school classes. Course packs, though necessary in some ways, are another topic of complaint in of themselves.)

The University can’t have it both ways. If you want students to have the correct, most cost-effective textbooks on the first day of school, professors need to provide more instruction further ahead of time on what materials are expected of the student.

Luckily enough, there’s an easy fix that plenty of professors already use. Giving students book lists at least two weeks ahead of time to account for online orders and bargain bookstore hunting allows students to purchase their books on a budget if need be. But professors should also make a sincere effort to provide students with PDFs of reading during the shopping period, so a student doesn’t have to commit to a class simply by financial constraint.

Many professors already adhere to these policies, understanding that students are mostly operating on a budget in spite of or due to the large tuition price tag attached to their education. Many professors also encourage shopping at local bookstores to encourage community engagement. But too many professors leave students in the dark about their reading lists until the last possible moment when the anxiety could be avoided without much bending over backwards on the University or faculty’s behalf. Regardless, Wash. U. needs to adjust its standards to be more practical and cognizant of the financial impositions and academic policies it’s putting forth.