As another semester approaches, the extra costs for books are going to accumulate.
As a student with two majors, both related to literature, I once had to buy 11 books for one semester of classes. Being forced to get creative on saving some money became a necessity, and you would be surprised at just how easy it is so long as you are willing to put in the time.
1. Call every book store on or near campus and get quotes
This
may seem obvious, but you would be surprised at how many students will simply
choose their bookstore based on location only. However, that location may be
the highest price offered for your books. Have Netflix playing in the
background if you really find it painful, but just call each of them with a pen
and paper at hand. You would be surprised at how quickly they can get all of
the prices of the books for you, just have your list available in case they ask
for the ISBN number. This is an easy way to compare all the prices, plus to see
if they even have your book in stock (not all of them do).
2. Shoot your professors an e-mail
Your
professors are usually timely in returning an e-mail from students, at least in
my experience. An introductory e-mail is an easy way to let your professor know
who you are and that you look forward to the class, as well as to show that you
are on top of your stuff. It is also an easy thing to reference when you stay
after class the first day to shake hands and introduce yourself (forget saving money, that's just a life lesson.
If you don’t do this, especially in those 500 student lectures, then you have a lot to figure out). While you are writing the e-mail, include basic questions of the books required. You can find out if there is a course pack for the class since that is never listed online and the precise store that they are sold at. This helps you save some time in the long lines the first week of class, because you’re already short on time that week as is.
3. Compare the prices of renting versus buying
Often
times, book stores will offer the choice to rent a book instead of paying a
higher price to buy them. There are many pros and cons to renting over selling,
and it all depends on how much time you are willing to put in. I usually say I will
sell the books back at the end of the semester but the prices that you get
offered back for them are almost always dismal and you don’t see any monetary
gain, nor do you break even.
There are some websites online however, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble who will offer money for your books too, and sometimes you get a better price that way. Collegeville Textbooks offers a 50 percent buy-back guarantee, meaning that so long as you have their special ticket on the book you bought from them, they have to offer you half of what you paid them for it (there is a time parameter but it’s over a year). They do this instead of renting their books, and it is usually easier to just get the cash back at the end of the semester than looking for somebody to buy it back but doesn’t always end up being the best option. Rentals at SBS are usually good deals, if you really don’t have time to deal with the selling at the end of the semester; however you have to return the books during finals week or you will get charged, and the lines can be impossible.
4. Check online
Your
local bookstores are not the only ones that carry your books; websites like
Amazon and Chegg do the same thing, often at a better price. Chegg is a great
site, they can be somewhat expensive and the quality of the book you receive is
unknown until it arrives in the mail, however they are a very convenient book
rental system. Just save the orange box that you got your books in to package
in again, and Chegg pays for the shipping. I used them last summer as it was
easier for me to go to a UPS site when I was living at home with my car at easy
access. They included a bunch of free samples with my books, however one was so
ripped I was shocked they would sent it to me. I contacted them and was sent a
new book immediately. If you ever have to buy smaller books like novels for
your class, Amazon is a nice option because they even offer some books for a
penny. The catch is the shipping costs, so do your math before you think Amazon
is the best option, and then have a plan for re-selling at the end of the
semester. As always, order your books ahead of time if you are online shopping
to allow for the shipping time; I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a
student regale his sob story about how he doesn’t have his books yet to a
professor that, quite frankly, doesn’t care.
5. Check the Library
Surprise,
surprise! The library is filled with books. If you are only using a book for a
couple of weeks, there is no need to spend money on it. Rent the book, and
reserve it online now because they may only have one copy, from the library
instead. You can renew the book if you need it longer as well. I have done this
many times, and while the copies have usually been buried under a layer of dust
and from the '70s, it’s free to use! Just make sure you don’t need it for a
paper later on, or you’ll want to renew it for longer.
When you get to the store, always make sure that the book you are given or choose is of the highest quality if you are buying/renting used. Used books are much cheaper and, though not as nice, do the exact same thing as a brand new book. If you are handed a book by a salesperson and it has a rip in the cover, kindly ask for another; you don’t want to be blamed later on. Always make sure you are aware of the rules of renting or buy-backs before you hand over your payment. Keep your receipts as well, sometimes they have coupons on them and other times you may need it to return the book if you drop the class (oh, and make sure you are aware of the return deadline) or if you are turning a rental back in.
It is a gamble to get your books ahead of time, as for certain classes you really don’t need to read them, and then you have wasted money (we’ve all been there). If you can, look up the class and reviews to make sure that it is truly required. Ask you brothers or sisters about the class as well; chances are one of them has taken it and may still have a book for you to use!
And as a side note, if you have a class that requires a book with a computer code, such as a language class, unfortunately there isn’t much you can do to cut costs. You may find copies of the book for much cheaper online, but that is only because it is the computer code itself that costs hundreds. In my experience, people who try to buy it from the website to save money end up having problems with the code that is given to them, which is an issue when it comes to your first homework assignments. It really does pay off to just pay the price your local bookstore has, just make sure you are invested in the class and won’t drop it before you take off the book's plastic wrap.
Happy saving!
