The time of year has come to begin purchasing the most dreaded purchase of your college career, textbooks. But do not fret, because we have done some research and are here to provide you with some solutions to the ever rising price of textbooks. First, let’s look at a survey collected of Bryant upperclassmen regarding the topic.
When asked, how often do you buy your textbooks from the Bryant bookstore? More than 50% of those surveyed said they would only if they had to. What does have to mean? It means your professor or course is using a Bryant specific book that most likely cannot be purchased elsewhere. This is likely to happen for your courses during freshman year that specifically pertain to BRYANT freshman. While they are not always the cheapest, there are some ways to get around it. Share the book with your roommate. Then it is always in the same place, and you can take turns using it while the other does other homework. You can also buy it with a friend, or reach out to upperclassmen to see if they have an old copy (always make sure an old copy will work with your professor).
When we asked, how much do you usually spend on books per semester? We were surprised to find the majority of respondents answered $400+. 17% of those surveyed are able to spend just $100-$200 a semester. If you go through the bookstore however, you can expect to spend upwards of $600 as each textbook will be over $100…but keep reading to see all the great benefits of purchasing your books through the bookstore.
The third question we asked was where students had found the cheapest textbook solutions. We love websites like amazon.com, chegg.com, barnes&noble, bigwords.com, half.com, and slugbooks.com. All have provided us with pleasant experiences. What are these sites? They are places that buy used textbooks from students to sell back to others at a cheaper price. Basically, they make all college students life EASIER!
How do you find the best option? Using the ISB(N) number associated with your textbook (you can find this on Bryant Banner or in your syllabus on Bryant Blackboard) search these sites to find your textbook, at half the price! The cheapest way to get the textbook for the semester is to rent it which will usually allow you to use a textbook for $20-$80! If they don’t have the option of renting your book you can buy a used copy, which you can later sell back to the website or to someone on campus. We also asked those surveyed to provide some advice for freshman buying textbooks and the majority of them said, “LOOK AROUND!” Don’t just go to Chegg.com and get all your textbooks in one place, shop around to make sure you spend the least amount of money possible!
Even though the school bookstore is usually very expensive, the great customer service is something you cannot get online and sometimes their prices are the best price! The bookstore has a great program called BuyBack at the end of each semester-you can bring all of your books you have purchased used or new (doesn’t have to be a bookstore purchase) and try and sell them back to the bookstore! If there is a need for them, the bookstore will buy back your book for anywhere from $1-$1,000,000…okay the $1,000,000 hasn’t happened but we’ve had experiences where we’ve gotten a few hundred for a textbook! Sweet right?! Also, if you rent through the bookstore, the prices are amazing and at the end of the semester it’s so easy to walk in and return your book without worrying about shipping fees for any other online book retailers.
A little tip for when you first get to campus and you go to the bookstore: go with your class information! Make sure you have your class name and section (ex: MAT106 A). This information for each of your classes can be found on Banner>Student Services and Financial Aid>Student Detailed Schedule
For more information regarding textbook buying or to have any questions answered, e-mail hercampus@bryant.edu or write on our Facebook wall and ask away!