There are plenty of reasons to feel excited about returning to campus for the upcoming semester or starting classes for the first time. You'll meet new people, learn interesting things and go to some unforgettable parties, for a start.

But other characteristics of the start of the college year aren't so exciting. For example, the often sky-high prices of essential textbooks might make you worry about having to eat ramen noodles or other inexpensive grub all semester long because you spent all your cash on books.

Fortunately, there's help — and it comes in the form of apps that help you find textbooks for less. Some even allow renting the titles and returning them after you've gotten through finals week.

1. Booksmart

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You can download the Booksmart app for Android or iOS, plus search for titles on their website. Besides new and used books, there are options to rent textbooks and even choose e-books.

Keep in mind that Booksmart doesn't sell books through the "Buy and Sell Online" link. It gives you a comparison list that shows the format of the books plus the price and seller. You can then choose an option to proceed to buy it through that merchant or from a student who has the title.

Then, when it's time to sell your books back, use the barcode scanning feature in the app to capture the details and get a price for the title from one of the book buyback companies on the internet.

2. Chegg Books

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Chegg offers several student-oriented apps for the iOS and Android platforms, but the one you want in this case is Chegg Books. It lets you download e-books or rent or buy physical copies. You can even highlight material in rented books or get the option to purchase them if you decide they'll benefit you long after your classes end.

Plus, when purchasing or renting physical books, you get tracking details to see when the titles you need will arrive at the doorstep of your student apartment or in your residence hall mailbox. Satisfied students who used the Chegg Books app said they were able to get prepared for classes by paying prices much lower than what their campus bookstores offered.

3. CampusBooks

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Like Booksmart, the CampusBooks app — which you can download for Android or iOS — looks all over the internet to find you the best prices on the titles you can't do without. The integrated barcode scanner saves time whether you're aiming to sell books you own or are standing in the campus bookstore to scan details for the books on your must-buy list to see how much cheaper you could get them.

Also, there's a GPS feature. Once you have it turned on, the app looks for the closest places to you that have the book available. It's a lifesaver if you planned to get through the semester by sharing a textbook with someone else and later realized that's not such a brilliant plan after all.

The CampusBooks search feature breaks down your book results by the best prices first, then shows a list of all available instances of the title. Even better, it displays the cost of the book and its shipping fees in separate columns, then adds the two together to prevent spending surprises.

4. BIGWORDS

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You can get a version of the BIGWORDS app for iOS as well as one for Android. Like most of the other apps on this list, it searches for places on the internet where you can buy the titles you need, then lets you sort through them by prioritizing prices or other characteristics.

If you select "More Details" for any selected book, there's a "Consider Buyback Value" checkbox. When selected, it lists current amounts that students can get for selling their titles. By using it, you can weigh whether it's best for your budget to buy or rent the title.

BIGWORDS also offers a feature called Multi-Item Price Optimization. It factors in all potential pricing components, including shipping speeds and discount codes, to find the most economical possibilities.

5. Book Scouter

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Book Scouter caters to cash-strapped students by offering Android and iOS apps, plus a website, to help people buy their books for less and perhaps sell them for more than expected. With each search, you can compare prices from over 30 vendors willing to either sell you books or buy them back.

Feeling anxious about working with a particular vendor? Check the associated ratings for more details. It calculates a two-year rolling average based on feedback from other Book Scouter users. Click on the star rating for a vendor and read comments from others before making your decision.

Books That Don't Break the Bank

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Having access to textbooks for the semester could substantially impact the grades you earn. These apps make it simple to find the books for the lowest possible prices, giving you more money to spend on other things.