Now that the school year is in session, it is finally time to buy a semester’s worth of college textbooks. Let’s face it, college textbooks are so expensive and being a college student means that we have limited funds to spend. If you are looking for cheap ways to buy your textbooks this year, keep reading for our five tips for saving money on college textbooks!
5 Tips for Saving Money on College Textbooks
*Image courtesy of The Odyssey Online
Tip #1: Price check through various of websites
There are a variety of options for you to purchase your textbook. Make sure that you price check your textbooks on various websites such as Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Chegg, and etc. Although it may take some time for your books to arrive if you order them from other stores, it can be worth the spend if you are saving tens of dollars on your textbooks.
Tip #2: Check the library for copies
If you are planning to rent your book, then why not settle for getting a free copy from the library? If you are lucky enough to find your textbook from the F&M library and be the first one to get your hands on it – why not take the advantage? The downside is that you have to remember to renew it every month and you can’t highlight or annotate in it, but hey, it’s a free book and if you’re never going to read it again, why not?
Tip #3: Sell back your book
If the difference between renting your book and buying your book is within a few dollars, opt for buying the book and reselling it at the end of the semester. You can do this through numerous ways: the F&M bookstore, Amazon, FB groups or other book companies that usually contact F&M students to buy back textbooks. This is especially useful if you are taking a general course that future students will take.
Tip #4: Look for PDF versions online
Older textbooks are usually available on PDF. If you can’t find them through a simple Google Search, try looking for them on the F&M library. Even if they don’t have a print copy at Shad-Fack, they may have a link to an online version. The F&M library website is very useful! If your professors permit it, you can bring your laptop in class or print them out. The printing fees will most likely be less than the cost of the book.
Tip #5: Share the cost with a friend
Another potential tip is to share the cost with a friend and print scan the pages so that you both have them. This will come in handy if you actually don’t end up reading the entire pages of the book. In my experience, this is especially useful for language classes where you are required to get a workbook and do homework in them. These workbooks can cost up to $60-80 per book, and if you have to take 3 semesters worth of classes, it could be quite expensive! Sharing the costs with a couple of friends in your class for those types of books will help the cost. You can scan the pages and fill out the answers on a loose-leaf paper or print the pages if your professor is okay with it!
I hope that these tips have helped you in your search for college textbooks. What are your favorite tips and tricks to save on college textbooks?