We all know about going to Amazon.com or Ebay.com to purchase textbooks, but there are many other ways to save money when it comes down to it. There’s nothing wrong with sticking to the basics, but over the past four years of attending college, I’ve learned a few tricks:
1. Library -
Many professors reserve textbooks at the library, which means anyone can go there and view those textbooks. Usually you can’t check out the books. If you can, it is only for a limited time, such as for 24 to 48 hours. If you want to save a good amount of money or you can’t buy textbooks, go to the library instead and view the books for free.
2. International -
Most of my college textbooks were hardbacks and printed on some decent, if not nice paper. I usually don’t keep my books forever, so I look for international versions when it comes to buying textbooks. They are usually paperback and printed on very thin paper, but they are drastically less in price than the regular version of the books. One thing to note with international editions is that they are identical to regular editions in most cases, but they don’t come with CDs. That means that you may have to borrow any CDs that come with the book from another classmate.
You usually can find international editions on Amazon or Ebay, you just have to look hard.
3. Online -
With the Internet being so popular, many companies now sell online versions of a book. Since it is 100 percent digital, you can read it on your computer and, in most cases, easily take notes. Or if your prefer, you can always print out the book once you purchase it.
The other great thing about these sites that sell online versions of the book is that you buy only the chapters you want. This can be very cost-effective if you only need a few chapters and not the entire textbook.
4. Bulletins -
Usually you can find someone who took the class last semester and still has the book. If you look at the bulletins or campus newspaper at your school, you will notice that students are selling their old textbooks. Why not contact some of these students and buy your textbooks that way? It is a great way to avoid middleman fees.
5. Off-Campus Bookstore -
Every major college I’ve been to always has a few off-campus book stores. They’re usually very close to campus and privately owned. For these guys to compete with the campus bookstores they have to reduce their prices. They’re not always as cheap as online prices, but if you need a book at the last minute and have no other options, this is a great alternative when compared to the campus bookstore.
6. Buddy System -
If you don’t mind partnering up and getting a “study-buddy” for each class, you could share books for all your classes. If you and your “study-buddy” split the cost of all your books, you can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars each semester. The other great thing about the buddy system is that you have someone to work with for each class. You can help each other out and study together before tests