It’s really a steal too bad I already took calc. I also did a quick survey of other handy textbook Web sites, e.g. Amazon, Ebay, Alibris, even the UR Bookstore, and none of them offered a better price. That free online calculus text costs more than $200 new and $162.85 used at the UR Bookstore. Convenience should not cost that much.
eduPossible includes much more than a mere book exchange. That’s just one of its several perks. Imagine all the possibilities of a Web site that combines selling books (as well as other products like dorm supplies and cars) with a job database, a ride board, a housing section and other useful components. It’s Craigslist meets the mishmash of UR Web sites that try to cater to student needs. Lucky you.
The geniuses behind this master hub are seniors Gautam Sharma and Suman Gedala and juniors Aaron Roth and Gao Chen. The ultimate goal of this online marketplace is for it to be a community networking forum that is run for and by students. This venture stands out because of the emphasis the founders have placed on sustainability.
‘The main reason why I’ve put so much into creating eduPossible.com is I see how valuable it is as a sustainable student marketplace,” Roth said.
This online service wants to emphasize the benefit of recycling products while minimizing tactics like fliering.
‘No one physical bulletin board can reach the entire UR community, but with one central, electronic and free marketplace, it is easily achievable without harming the environment or burning a whole in your wallet,” Sharma said.
The Web site has been in the works since 2007 but just went live during the final week of this past August. It’s been a vision in the making for these four students and is still continuing to develop as they look to collaborate with various offices on the River Campus. The Financial Aid Office has recently taken over the maintenance of the job board, and there’s talk of pairing up with Residential Life to incorporate their off-campus housing database.
By integrating these existing resources, eduPossible hopes to function as a more visible and accessible network for UR students. Eventually, eduPossible also wants to serve the greater city of Rochester, thus connecting the University with surrounding neighborhoods.
Sharma, Gedala, Roth and Chen are all currently applying for the Kauffman Entrepreneurial Year with the intent to spend an additional year at UR to further promote and expand the Web site. Despite its burgeoning aspirations, eduPossible is on its way to achieve its mission and meet the demands of students.
‘I am confident eduPossible will be successful,” Chen said. ‘UR students are brilliant enough to realize the beauty and efficiency of a local network and marketplace.”
Squires is a member of the class of 2010.
