Ugh!! Textbooks!!

[Beautiful Fireball]

Why are they so stinkin expensive? I mean they charge so much for tuition and then the added cost of buying an 8lb book that you will most likely only get through half of, doesn't make any sense! Does anybody know of any good, reliable websites to get textbooks at a cheaper price?

 

[OCUreligionmajor2010]

Why are they so stinkin expensive? I mean they charge so much for tuition and then the added cost of buying an 8lb book that you will most likely only get through half of, doesn't make any sense! Does anybody know of any good, reliable websites to get textbooks at a cheaper price?

my friends and I will use amazon.com and ebay usually, you just have to make sure the person you're bidding/buying is reliable, which you just have to look at their rating (more ppl who rate them the better)

 

[arunma]

Why are they so stinkin expensive? I mean they charge so much for tuition and then the added cost of buying an 8lb book that you will most likely only get through half of, doesn't make any sense! Does anybody know of any good, reliable websites to get textbooks at a cheaper price?

As Religionmajor, there's always Amazon.com. I just wanted to reiterate this because Amazon is often understated. Last year, I saved well over $100 on my textbooks (compared to my school's prices). It doesn't seem like the most obvious place to save money, but oddly enough, Amazon has some pretty good deals.

I've also heard good things about Half.com, but I've never tried it.

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

Yeah, I was looking at Amazon last night, and you can really get some amazing deals. Half.com doesn't seem as secure and reliable to me, so I think im gonna go with amazon. Thanks!

 

[OCUreligionmajor2010]

Yeah, I was looking at Amazon last night, and you can really get some amazing deals. Half.com doesn't seem as secure and reliable to me, so I think im gonna go with amazon. Thanks!

haha no problem, good luck! (and just for future reference, it's also a good place to sell your books to, cause normally you'll be able to sell it for more than the bookstore would pay to take it back from you)

 

[nucleocide]

I saw the title and just had to sympathize. Gone are the days that scholarships pay my way.

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

I saw the title and just had to sympathize. Gone are the days that scholarships pay my way.

Yeah, I get NO help at all. No grants, loans, or scholarships, my parents don't even help out, so it gets hard.

 

[nucleocide]

Yeah, I get NO help at all. No grants, loans, or scholarships, my parents don't even help out, so it gets hard.

Life was so easier when we were all kids lol. But that which does not kill us makes us stronger, I suppose.

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

Life was so easier when we were all kids lol. But that which does not kill us makes us stronger, I suppose.

Lol, yeah I know.

But I'm not complaining, the fact that it is all coming from my own pocket only makes me work harder and appreciate it more

 

[Seeker of the Truth]

half.com

it's affiliated with ebay and is pretty reliable.

i sold some books on there and my friend is buying two book from there, so...

 

[Jepas]

I just got mine this morning, luckily I have half the books I needed anyways from last semester (use them until I graduate). But I still had to spend 230 on the rest

 

[sunshineray]

My bf and I checked on Amazon for our books this semester. I could get a used version of the EXACT text I needed that was usually $160 for $40. I would definitely check it out....

 

[arunma]

By the way, I would encourage you guys to consider keeping your textbooks rather than selling them. Even with a good deal, people tend to buy used textbooks for less than half the price you paid for them. But if you keep your books, they can come in handy later as references. This is especially true for science majors. Just last semester when I was taking my senior level waves, optics, and relativity class, I used my freshman physics book to study for the final. The books themselves are probably worth more than the pocket change you'll earn by selling them.

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

By the way, I would encourage you guys to consider keeping your textbooks rather than selling them. Even with a good deal, people tend to buy used textbooks for less than half the price you paid for them. But if you keep your books, they can come in handy later as references. This is especially true for science majors. Just last semester when I was taking my senior level waves, optics, and relativity class, I used my freshman physics book to study for the final. The books themselves are probably worth more than the pocket change you'll earn by selling them.

Yeah, I always keep my English textbooks, but its just because I'm an English nerd, and I write all over them

 

[OCUreligionmajor2010]

By the way, I would encourage you guys to consider keeping your textbooks rather than selling them. Even with a good deal, people tend to buy used textbooks for less than half the price you paid for them. But if you keep your books, they can come in handy later as references. This is especially true for science majors. Just last semester when I was taking my senior level waves, optics, and relativity class, I used my freshman physics book to study for the final. The books themselves are probably worth more than the pocket change you'll earn by selling them.

yeah, i've kept my religion books but for my general education classes (history, comp, college alg :S) i'll sell it back, even if it is for a little cause i know i'll never use them again

 

[Jadiell]

Can't you get by using the books in the library? That's what I did when I was a student...

Guess you guys are all more diligent than I was...

 

[Beautiful Fireball]

Can't you get by using the books in the library? That's what I did when I was a student...

Guess you guys are all more diligent than I was...

lol, I wish! I wory full time though and go to school at night, so unfortunately thats not an option.

 

[OCUreligionmajor2010]

Can't you get by using the books in the library? That's what I did when I was a student...

Guess you guys are all more diligent than I was...

i don't know about the bigger university, but i go to a small, private university, so our library doesn't have a lot of the texts we use in class. plus they wouldn't have enough copies for everyone so you'd have to be lucky to get one. so i'm not more diligent, i'm just outta luck

 

[Jadiell]

i don't know about the bigger university, but i go to a small, private university, so our library doesn't have a lot of the texts we use in class. plus they wouldn't have enough copies for everyone so you'd have to be lucky to get one. so i'm not more diligent, i'm just outta luck

Your library doesn't have the books you use in class?!? What does it have in it? I would have thought the books required in courses taught at that university would be a bare minimum for a university, regardless of size. If I recommended a book to my students that wasn't in our library, there would be uproar...

I realise that libraries don't have enough copies for all students, but don't you have textbooks in a reserve section (i.e. you can read them in the library, but not take them out)? That was how I managed. I did most of my (relatively small amount of ) studying in the library, using their books. Obviously if you want to study at home, this doesn't work as well, hence my comment about diligence...

 

[Cordelia]

Buy as much as you can second hand! Also see if you can borrow any textbooks from your library, and then photocopy the bits you find yourself using a lot.