Student Alternatives to the High Cost of Textbooks
Here are some alternatives to save money:
$ Buy your books online at Half.com, Amazon.com, campusi.com, or other online book sellers. To find out what books will be used for your classes next semester, contact your professors or go to the MSU Barnes & Noble textbook information page. You can then search the books online. Remember to factor in shipping costs when you are looking for the best deal. You can also sell your books online for more than B&N would give you.
$ Contact people who took the class the previous semester and buy the book directly from them.
$ Share the book with a friend.
$ Contact your professor to see if previous editions of the book are acceptable.
$ Some professors have extra copies of the textbook. Contact your professor privately and see if s/he has a copy you can borrow.
$ Shop at the local used book store, especially if your classes require novels instead of textbooks.
$ If your textbooks come packaged with extras like study guides or cds, and the professor won’t be using them, it’s cheaper to buy only the textbook, if that is possible.
$ Only buy required books. Often professors recommend additional books, but if they are not required, you can save money by not buying them.
$ Check to see if the library has a copy of the book you need. If so, check it out instead of buying it.
$ If you are going to buy your books at the campus bookstore, preorder your books early to help ensure you get used copies of books. Used copies mean you save money.
$ Compare prices between bookstores. Maverick Bookstore honors Barnes & Nobles’ prices, so that may be more convenient if they have some textbooks that are cheaper.
$ Many students choose to keep their textbooks to build a professional library, but they may let you borrow the book or charge you a small rental fee to use the book for the semester.
$ Check with students who have taken the class with that professor before. In many classes, professors cover the same materials in class as the textbook does, making the textbook unnecessary, so check to see if the textbook is actually useful.
Do you have ideas for other alternatives?
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