One of the worst things about being a college student is that the cost of books is insane and continues to skyrocket. Depending on what your classes require you to get in terms of books, and how many classes you have, you could be looking at spending hundreds of dollars on books alone. Keep reading for some tips on saving money when the time comes for you to buy your books.
Ask About Older Editions
Depending on the subject you are taking, there may be a new edition of the textbook published each year. Each edition makes a few small changes, but unless there is a breakthrough in teaching methods or the discovery of something new that changes everything, most editions only differ in the pictures they use and the order of the chapters. Ask you professor whether an older edition would be acceptable, as the newest edition will be the most expensive one. If they agree to an older edition, ask what the oldest acceptable edition is. Sometimes they will accept three editions back, which will cut your book cost down significantly.
Borrow From the Library
Your campus library is more than likely to have the books that you are looking for and they are willing to loan them out to students. This is a wonderful thing to have access to, but there are some downsides. Unless they have enough copies for every student, you may not get to check one out because every copy is already being loaned out to someone. Depending on the library policies, you may get a copy a couple of hours later or a couple of days later. Try to get with someone who does have a copy and see if they are willing to share so that you both can study and get work done at the same time.
Sometimes, if you do get a copy, you will find that it cannot be taken out of the library. If that is the case, you will need to arrange your free time schedule so you can study during library hours. After all, you need to make the grade somehow, and if it means staying until the library closes to get things done, that may be what you have to do.
Phone A Friend
You can always ask to borrow a book if someone that you know has one, especially if they have already taken the class and the professor is someone who will take older editions. However, if your friend is taking the class at the same time you are taking it, things get a little more complicated. It can be mitigated by negotiating a schedule with your friend that works for both of you so you do not have to hunt a copy down and you both turn in assignments on time and are able to study well.
Use Online Resources
Sometimes books and other documents can be found online. For example, if you are taking a government course and you need things relating to the founding fathers, you can easily find The Declaration of Independence as a PDF online, and for free, too. There are times when entire textbooks, all in the most recent edition, are published online for free access.
However, when you begin searching for books and documents online, it is vital that you proceed with caution. Some of the resources and the sites they are uploaded to are uploaded and accessed illegally. It can be frustrating to see the price tags on books, but it is way better to pay the price than to be caught with books that have been illegally obtained and accessed. You could be fined hundreds to thousands of dollars if you commit a serious enough violation.
Textbooks are one of the most expensive things that you will spend money on in college, and it is frustrating when you find out that your scholarships will not necessarily cover them. Keep this article in mind when you go shopping for college textbooks so you can hopefully save a few dollars. If you are unable to save any money and have to buy your books, try to sell them back at the end of the year so you can get some of your money back.
