One of the biggest scams I’ve encountered in college is buying textbooks. Hundreds of dollars go down the drain for a book I’m lucky to open more than once. Even on the rare occasion when I use a textbook frequently in class, it’ll mean nothing to me in four months.
Here’s how I get away without buying (or paying significantly less) for textbooks:
Buying Textbooks Secondhand
I’ve found that buying secondhand textbooks is a great way for me to save money, while also enjoying the benefits of having a physical copy (a lost luxury in the digital age) to keep for myself. If you’re a girl trying to bring back physical media, check these websites first before heading to the FSU bookstore:         Â
Amazon
For most people, Amazon is probably the first line of defense when on the hunt for a specific product. Amazon has thousands of textbooks to offer; however, when looking for the one you need, the first one shown will likely be listed at full price.
The trick is to look below the original listing. You’ll find a link that says, “more buying choices,” which leads you to used books listed for a much lower price. These books will often offer cheap or free, fast shipping.
If the fear of getting scammed is lingering in the back of your mind, Amazon has an A-to-Z Guarantee under which they’ll reimburse you if you file a report against a third-party seller on Amazon.
eBay
Similar to Amazon, eBay offers used textbooks that students can buy for a cheaper price. On eBay, however, you can negotiate the price with the seller. This way, you can offer a lower price than what’s listed to get your hands on the book you need.
eBay also offers customer protection, meaning that if you unfortunately do get scammed, you can get your money back.
Downloading PDFs Online
There’s a plethora of websites you can use to download free PDFs of your desired textbook. Just a fair warning, if you use this method, be cautious of what you’re downloading. If it smells fishy, looks fishy, or feels fishy, it’s probably fishy.Â
Some websites I’ve used before with no issues are Anna’s Archive and Library Genesis. They offer free PDF downloads with no account required. If you find a website that offers free textbooks, research it before downloading anything! Reddit will give you a good idea of what’s safe and what to avoid.
Renting
Did you know you can rent your textbook from FSU’s on-campus bookstore? The university offers a “price-match guarantee,” meaning you can get new, used, rental, and digital textbooks for the same price as online competitors. You can also rent online textbooks using websites like Chegg and eCampus, and change the rental period duration as needed.
If you’re using a textbook behind a paywall, such as McGraw-Hill (my arch-nemesis), as Taylor Swift once said, “You’re on your own kid.” You might be thrown a bone and given a free two-week trial, but after that, there’s not much you can do.
These tips have saved me so much. It can be frustrating spending your precious dollars on a book you open once on the first day of class, then never again. Don’t get discouraged by textbook prices — take the time to hunt for better deals, because chances are, you’ll find them!
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