Textbooks: A Survival Guide

So, an unfortunate fact is upon us: fall semester starts in 2 weeks! Well, for me at least. It'll also be the start of my senior year, and the end of my undergrad career. Eep! While I don't mind going to school, I am going to miss sleeping in til noon and watching Netflix all day. sigh. With the new semester, comes a new list of textbooks that you will cry over when you see the prices. But cry no longer! I'm here to help you hopefully save a lot of money this semester. This is going to be a long one. Ready? Okay. Tip #1: Skip the campus bookstore!
I know, I know. It's so tempting. You can walk to it, and even enjoy a Starbucks while you shop. But do try to resist the temptation. I worked in my campus bookstore, and while it was a lovely job, I cringed at how much some people spend! The textbooks are so marked up, and often stock runs out fast, which means you may have to start classes without your textbooks as you wait for a new shipment to come in. The lines are horrendous, and really it's just not a good time. But if you insist on buying your textbooks at the campus bookstore (or your parents do!), here are a few tips to get you through it:

• Check into price matching. Some bookstores will do this, although they typically don't match Amazon
• Rent if you can!
• Avoid going to the bookstore around the lunch hour. Instead, try to go early in the morning, or later in the evening
• Come prepared with your class schedule in hand. It'll make it that much easier for you (and your friendly bookstore associate) to find your books.
• Be aware of the bookstore's return policies. Typically, most campus stores only let you make returns until the end of your drop/add period (the first week of school), AND you can't open any books that are in plastic!

Tip #2: Rent, rent, rent!

So you decided to skip the campus store, good for you! You just saved yourself some money and a headache. Now for the most important tip: rent your books! Unless you know you'll need the book for another semester, or you want to keep it (I personally do keep my art history and photography books for reference), it is really not worth buying. Publishers like to screw over poor college students by changing the edition for the next semester, making your book you just bought new for $150 absolutely worthless. It's a harsh world out there. If you do want to buy, buy used (more on that in another tip).

You can check other local bookstores in your area (we have Gray's and CB&S around here, among some others), or you can rent online. If you're me, I prefer renting from the comfort of my bed. Now, you may ask: "There are so many sites out there! How do I know who to rent from?". Well, fret not. I've been renting my books for going on 4 years now, and I have a few tried-and-true favorites.

In no particular order, my favorite sites are:

• Chegg
• Neebo
• CampusBookRentals

All you have to do is plug the ISBN number into the search bar and find your book! Some sites also offer the option to input your school and class schedule, and they will find your books for you. All 3 of them offer great service. Some (like Chegg) do charge shipping, but it's affordable, and you can often find coupons for free shipping! I have rented books from all of them, and each time they've been delivered on time and been in great condition. While it's true that both Amazon and Barnes and Noble also rent books, I've found that their prices are typically higher.

A few things to remember when renting:

• Compare prices! One semester one site may have the lowest prices, and another semester you might find them cheaper elsewhere
• Check rental return dates. You want to make sure you'll still be able to have your book to study for finals!
• Check shipping. Will your books get to you on time? Is free return shipping provided? If not, how much is return shipping? Additionally, what date must your books be postmarked to be returned on time? 
• Check policies. Can you write and highlight in your books?
• Take care of the books! If you return them in a less than favorable condition, or lose them, you will have to pay the full price of the book. And you certainly don't want to do that!
• Search for coupons! You can put "[name of site] coupons" in Google, and often find sites that will save you $5 or more! Retailmenot is generally pretty reliable, but it's worth searching around.

Tip #3: Buy Used

You looked at renting, but eh, you've decided you want to buy your books. That's fine! Unless your professor tells you that you have to have this year's brand new edition that just came out (I hate those professors), buy used! It's the same book, and you can often get it for much much cheaper. My favorite site for buying used books is Half.com. It's an eBay company, so they are a trusted and reputable site. It works pretty much like eBay: users list items and you can buy them. No bidding involved here though! The list of books is sorted from best to worst condition, and by price within each category. You can view seller's feedback and see the commengts the seller has left, like whether or not there is highlighting in the book (much like eBay!). I have bought two books off Half.com, and they were as described. Experiences may vary, though.

Tip #4: e-books

Sometimes professors may not require you to have a physical copy of the book. In that case, check into e-books! They are often cheaper than their physical counterparts, though not always. You can find e-books by going directly to the book publisher's website (which is often Pearson) and seeing if it is offered. Typically you buy an access code that is active for x amount of days, and you log in to the site whenever you want to use your book. It's nice for those who like to take their books on the go with their e-readers or tablets! Also see "Another Option" below.

Tip #5: Sell Back

You bought your book, new or used, used it, and now the semester's over. You don't need it again, so now what? Sell your books! There's no use in letting them take up precious space in your room. 

There are a few different ways to sell your books:

• Person to person: list your books on Facebook, Tumblr, or Craiglist. You choose your price and can let people barter. This is a good way to pass on a book to a friend, classmate, or fellow student. Just be careful! Always be sure to meet in public places in daylight, and bring a friend along with you.
• Online: Half.com offers the option of selling back your books! Here, you put in the ISBN and other information, and the site tells you the recommended price. Someone can buy your books, and you ship them out in a timely manner.
• Bookstores/Textbook dealers: Bookstores and other textbook dealers also offer the option of selling back your books. You can check your campus bookstore to see how much they are buying back your particular book for. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and textbook sites like Chegg and Neebo offer the option of selling your books back to them. 

Oftentimes you'll run into the unfortunate fact that a new edition of your book has come out, and yours is no longer useful. In that case, try donating your books! You can donate to your local library, or even try to find a nonprofit group that takes old textbooks.

Another Option...

There are actually ways to get textbooks for free. Unfortunately for me, I've never been able to find any of my textbooks through these methods. However, if you want to try, here is an excellent Reddit post and an excellent Tumblr post on sites and methods for finding free textbooks. Additionally, you can check to see if any friends will let your borrow their book if they took the class before, or if they'll sell it to you for cheap!

Alright! Well that was long, but I really hope it helps somebody :) Also if anyone ever has questions about college/university at all, don't hesitate to ask!

♥