College Text Book Time

It’s that time again. Time for textbook buying, and in some cases, time to shell out some big bucks, making it hard to be that sad, sad creature we all call a college student. But Wait! Don’t despair! I am here! (Sorry, had to, as I am both a poet and lover of Superheroes).

Quick Fact: The average student textbook, based on a review of major publishers, is $131.44. Yuck!

Anyway, while at community college, I used to shell out full price, at the student bookstore, for new textbooks. My financial aid, including grants and loans, easily covered the costs for tuition and books, and I didn’t feel I needed to be that savvy. Then something happened. I don’t exactly know what, but I think it was the need to buy a new car. Now my income and expenses took on a whole new meaning, and I needed to shave as much as possible. So, I started doing research. I am happy to admit that I’ve been “off” the new books for years, and haven’t had one relapse. All it takes is a little planning, a little cash before financial aid rolls in, and a little bit of faith in the internet.

Most of the tips below are from real experience, and not just regurgitated facts from the internet. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll make it clear what sites I’ve had success or problems with, as well as resources I have yet to try, but feel they deserve a mention.

Have fun and good luck with school this year.

Facts that may make you cringe …

· Most edition changes are not substantial, but allow for the publisher to charge more for the text book

· The bundling of CD-ROMs and other media allow the publisher to charge a lot more for the book (and most likely you don’t need that baloney for your class anyway). PERSONAL NOTE: I have taken only once course where I needed the extra CD’s and junk – Spanish.

· Not all professor’s are aware of what a text book costs, nor do they make the final decision in what books are required for the program

· Textbooks are more expensive than other books to produce. The added pictures, color pages, detailed facts, etc., cost cash to make.

· Older editions are always cheaper than the new ones, and most of the time, at least in my experience; the older edition is just as fine. A TIP: most of the time your school’s library will have some of your textbooks on reserve. If your older edition is missing an article, or devastingly important graph, you can always check it out at the library.

(Much of the above information came from an article by Charlotte Allen of MindingTheCampus.com. The original article is posted HERE. )

How to keep it cheap and easy

· It’s sometimes a risk, but you could always buy the older edition. My Educational Technology class called for the latest edition, which cost $175. My professor made me walk that puppy back to the book store and order one online for $4. New editions often have very few changes, and if your prof is cool, there is no reason for a brand new book.

· Along the same lines as above, USED is always better than NEW in my opinion, not because of the notes from other students (they may have failed the class) but because it is CHEAP. Unless you’re a bit OCD, there is no need for any textbook to be crisp, clean, and virginal.

· If at all possible buy your books online. I know that sucks for mom and pop bookstores, but all’s fair in love and college. Next semester’s books would have cost $450 but since I bought online, I got them all for $170 total.

A few of my favorite things …

AbeBooks.com

I ordered about a half of my semester’s textbooks from this site and I’ve got to say, what a great company. Just like Half.com, this is a group of individuals and businesses selling their wares online. Most of my books were almost 90% off and around $3 each (this semester has been forgiving to me as most of my professors love old editions). What drew me to this site was its “indie” feel and their refund policy. If for whatever reason your book is not described properly, and you are dissatisfied with it, you can request a refund within 30 days of purchase. I haven’t done so yet, but that guarantee makes me feel warm and fuzzy. QUICK TIP: make sure to notice the seller’s rating before purchasing. TIP PART DEUX: be aware of the shipping cost, as a $1 book looks great unless it costs $15 to ship it.

Half.com

The crème de la crème of my purchase sites, Half.com is what got me interested in CHEAP books in the first place. Owned by Ebay, you can rest assured that they have the whole “seller” thing down. If I couldn’t find the specific book on AbeBooks.com, I could easily locate it on this site. A couple of things you should be aware of: Shipping is standardized for all purchases – cheap is $3.99 and ships via Media Mail, while expedited shipping is $5.49 can take as long as 6 to 10 days. Either way, with a bit of planning, you’ll be all set with your very own CHEAP textbook. QUICK TIP: just like eBay, make sure to check the overall rating of each seller, as well as how many reviews. I only buy from those above 97% and over 500 transactions.

Sites that search a TON of different stores …

CampusBooks.com

By far the best comparison engine on the internet, CampusBooks.com offers a plethora of choices, from used and new, to eBooks and rentals. It features a very intuitive interface, the ability to save your “book bag” for future buying, and not a whole lotta adverts on their pages. I have used this service before, which actually led me to both Half.com and AbeBooks.com. QUICK TIP: use their price alert function. They’ll notify you when a book is available for the bucks you’re willing to pay.

Other Comparison Engines: BigWords.com and ValoreBooks.com

Wacky alternatives that may not be so wacky …

(I haven’t tried any of these, but I thought a list of alternatives would be useful)

EBooks

Yup. The kindle-ization of college may be near. Some companies offer striped down versions of their texts in the eBook format. Check out the publisher sites of textbooks you need. Some of them offer eBook versions.

Textbook Rental

Just like Blockbuster or Netflix, you can rent yourself some textbooks. Make sure to keep those texts in great condition or you may just be buying at the end of the term. Check out: BookRenter.com, Chegg.com, CampusBookRentals.com

Books with Advertisements

Bathroom stall doors, park benches, and now TEXTBOOKS. In the Age of Advertising, anything is possible. There are a few sites that cater to this new frontier in publishing, where textbooks are free or very low priced. In return, you gotta see a bunch of ads wedged between Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself and one of Emily Dickensen’s many poems. Check out: FreeLoadPress and google “Open Source Textbooks”.