Shop Around for Textbooks

Bookstores on campus might be most convenient when purchasing your semester’s textbooks, however, a lot of money can be saved (or spent in a different way) by purchasing books from other college students or online. I have broken down buying and selling into easy to follow steps. I encourage all college freshmen to consider avoiding bookstores, as many students find it most practical. Furthermore, many seniors say they wish they would have started avoiding the bookstores sooner.

Buying books: (1) Find what books are required or recommended by the professor for the course. (2) Search the bookstore to find what they are charging. (3) Search the internet (Amazon, eBay, etc.) to see if you can find it cheaper. This is very easy if you have the ISBN code for the book. (4) If the exact book is found online with a cheaper price, buy it! (5) Compare the amount you spent to the amount others are spending at the campus bookstore. (6) Enjoy the money saved!

Selling books: (1) Feel welcome to check the bookstore if they have a buyback program to see what they will give you for the book. If you are satisfied with the amount, take it. However, if you are not happy with the amount try selling the book yourself. (2) Find out if the same book is going to be used the following semester. It would be unethical to sell a fellow student a book that will not be used for his/her class. (3) If the book will be used by the professor again, start by asking around if others may need it. I have found that it is easiest to publish the class name and book title on my Facebook status. Some professors are even willing to email the new class, letting them know you have a book for sale. (4) If you are unable to sell it to a classmate, try selling it online. I have never sold a book online but many people do.