Textbook Do’s and Don’ts

Between the student health fees, parking passes, tuition, and room and board costs, the price of a higher education is going through the roof. But it doesn’t have to be as bad as you think. College is expensive enough without spending top dollar on textbooks. First year college students often make the mistake of buying textbooks directly from the bookstore: a major DON’T! Here is a list of textbook do’s and don’ts to help guide you to a more affordable library of literacy.

 

DO’s

• One thing you want to do for sure is research. Check all available resources, including older friends for textbook prices. Once you have compared them, choose the one that is best for you.
• Decide if you want used or new textbooks. If you don’t care, definitely buy used ones, they could save you a bundle! If you prefer new, don’t immediately run to the campus bookstore. It all depends on you, but I personally like new textbooks that are for my major. All others I buy as used and cheaply as I can!
• Check the price the bookstore is selling the book at. That will give you a starting reference point for when you search other options.
• Check out major online retailers like Amazon.com for a wide variety of book prices, conditions, and ETA’s. Places like Amazon offer a long list of sellers offering both used and new books.]
• Look into rental. If you don’t mind used books and have no desire to keep the book once finished with it, rental is perfect. Its usually cheaper even than a used book, plus you don’t have to worry about what to do with it after the class is over.

 

DON’TS

• Don’t go and buy the books you need straight from the bookstore. Most bookstores are out to get all the money they can from you and will charge outrageous prices. The bookstore is a last resort if you can’t find the book anywhere else.
• Don’t assume you don’t need textbooks. Sometimes the book is unnecessary and you never use it during the semester. However, if you wait too long to buy the book, it is possible that you won’t be able to find a copy.
• Don’t just sell it back to the bookstore when you are finished with it. They will rip you off and give you usually a fifth of what it is worth, assuming they take it at all. It often happens that textbooks become outdated by the time you finish with them. Try and sell them online or to another student directly.

 

Best of luck to you!

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Category: College Life