How did/do you get your college textbooks?

[Escaep]

I am in the process of getting textbooks for my fall semester at my university and I'm wondering how everyone else bought their textbooks. Did you buy them new/used from the campus bookstore? An off campus bookstore? Online at amazon/ebay? Rented them from a place like http://www.campusbookrentals.com/.?

 

[Raziaar]

Never bought any.

Maybe you can steal some from a local book burning assemblage. Unless you don't have those where you are. And you won't be able to find the proper ones you need perhaps.

 

[mindless_moder]

buying them online is your best bet. If you can deal with international versions try http://www.abebooks.com the books are printed in english but they're softcovers. ABE also has regular U.S editions.

edit:Most universities also have classified listings where students list used books.

 

[Vegeta897]

I had to pay for a book that was stolen from me in high school.

Does that count?

 

[VirusType2]

A woman in my class lent me one to use for the duration. I cannot remember why she had two.

The soft-cover sleeve became folded over and creased at some point during my use for which she damned me like I had broken an unwritten law. Even if you care for something, it can still be worn or damaged by accident.


My father or brother would have paid for them, but I try not to be a burden.

 

[Viperidae]

A woman in my class lent me one to use for the duration. I cannot remember why she had two.

The soft-cover sleeve became folded over and creased at some point during my use for which she damned me like I had broken an unwritten law. Even if you care for something, it can still be worn or damaged by accident.

University bookstores won't refund books that are damaged in any way.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Ebay. But I've learned not to get the international editions because they can't be resold at the school bookstore while the normal versions can.

 

[Krynn72]

When I had the option, I'd get them on ebay or amazon. When I went to the school I eventually graduated from, the books were included in my tuition, so obviously I just went to the bookstore and grabbed them each month.

 

[VirusType2]

University bookstores won't refund books that are damaged in any way.

After all these years, I now know why it was a huge deal. She didn't speak English all that well, if I remember right. Well, I believe I did the right thing and offered to pay after all, but she shook her head in disappointment and declined.

 

[evil^milk]

I did several things. Buying them at the campus bookstore with no financial aid is the absolute worst you can do as the prices are ridiculous. I remember getting charged $200 for a Chemistry book and it wasn't much less for the used version. If you can afford these prices and can get the books new then go for it, I guess, you rich asshole.

I also rented from Chegg. They're decent, as far as prices go - you can get a 4 month rental (or maybe 6 month, can't remember) for 20% of the price on some books and they'll ship out books in good conditions, even new. Drawbacks: you can't make annotations on books/highlight 'em or anything, which is a big drawback to me.

And of course as already mentioned Amazon/Ebay. On Ebay the prices are the best, really, and if you like it you can keep it with all annotations included. In case you don't like the book, quite frankly you're f*cked, because no-one likes a book with a ton of stuff written on it(unless you sell it really cheap) but you're not f*cked too much assuming you bought the book cheap in the first place.

Depending on the availability, I'd go in this order:

1. eBay: Cheap, I can write on my own books, etc. Drawbacks: Selling is difficult if you wrote on them, value goes down;
2. Online rental: Second best in price, best for books/courses you need to take as core requirements you might not be fully into; good if eBay availability is nil and Amazon has a higher price listing
3. Campus bookstore: no.

If you're a complete cheap-man you can rent books from Chegg, go to Mexico or some other place where they make cheap photocopies and get your book photocopied. Return to Chegg within 30 days for a full refund. Win.

 

[Danimal]

We're reccomended books to read, as a kind of "Study on the side if you really think this shit is awesome" thing - but my course as a whole don't require textbooks.

My teacher pretty much told me the Sgt. Peppers album counts as a textbook, though.

 

[Raziaar]

We're reccomended books to read, as a kind of "Study on the side if you really think this shit is awesome" thing - but my course as a whole don't require textbooks.

My teacher pretty much told me the Sgt. Peppers album counts as a textbook, though.

I don't think I went back in that thread. Let me go read the post.


EDIT: Wrong thread... lol

 

[Danimal]

I don't think I went back in that thread. Let me go read the post.

You're terrible at getting the right thread, aren't you? LOL

 

[Viperidae]

http://www.biblio.com/

 

[sixteenth]

International, unbound, or "teacher editions" will not be bought by any campus bookstore (owned or not owned by your university). So when you buy these cheapy copies, keep in mind that when your done with them you're either using them for reference material or tinder for your next bonfire.

 

[Robbo]

I bought them all new... because I am lazy.... and poor

DO NOT buy them new!!!

 

[DEATHMASTER]

If by "poor" you mean "dumb."

 

[Danimal]

I still don't understand how being poor makes buying new books a better option.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

I pull about a G a week. **** SCHOOL


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtrNj47u1D8



Haha but just take them from the bookstore area when no one is there or rotate it with someone who has the class another hour. I just bought mine though (new's better) but if thats a huge issue do those first things.

 

[[Dragoon]]

I bought one off Craigslist (campus bookstore wanted 120 new, I bought it for 20 used), and one off Amazon (10 dollars used). I also bought my graphing calculator off Craigslist, 40 dollars for a TI-83.

Edit: Lucky 7s post. Woo.

 

[Robbo]

I still don't understand how being poor makes buying new books a better option.

errr What I meant to say was that I am NOW poor because I bought them all. However they're all geology books and I'll have them for a large part of my working life so it's not as stupid as it seems.

 

[JUL3]

Slightly irrelevant but, are there Textbooks on the iPad?

 

[15357]

Campus bookstore, most of them new.

 

[The Monkey]

Online book stores.

 

[dfc05]

I bought used (whenever possible) at the campus bookstore when I was an undergrad or paid for my own books. Also, someone at my university had set up a textbook selling website that I liked, because you just directly met with fellow students on campus to sell your stuff. More secure.

So most of the time I either sold my book back to the campus bookstore, or sold it to someone else on campus. Then I took my giant wad of cash and used it for part of next semester's books.

I know a couple of people who tried buying books on ebay or elsewhere and either (1) never received the book; or (2) received an un-sellable book (front cover ripped off). So I would be wary.

Interestingly, now my school pays for my textbooks, and they prefer to order through Amazon instead of buying at the campus bookstore. Amazon is often cheaper and does free shipping on textbooks.

There were a couple of books that I kept, and one that I wished I'd kept but didn't. Namely, Transport Phenomena by Bird, Stewart, and Lightfoot. One of my friends still had his by the end of senior year, and despite going to medical school where he would never need it again, he absolutely would not sell me his copy.

 

[Escaep]

Well I've been looking at this online rental site ( http://www.campusbookrentals.com/ ), they offer free shipping to you and they give a return box and label, which is also free.

For example I need this book: http://www.bookstore.stetson.edu/bu...4DC37980184D3FA6EEA016098AC0FA&pf_id=10360026

New from the bookstore is $201.50 and used is $151.25. I can get it at that online rental store for $62.43 with free shipping. On amazon a brand new one is $160 and the cheapest used is $100. It is also on Chegg for $70 but it doesn't include free shipping, however, for each book you buy they plant a tree. Which is nice and I can't find the shipping price but for the books I need I have a feeling shipping will be quite a bit of money both to and from.

The pros about renting is that they are a lot cheaper however if I find the book to be highly useful I can't keep it and I'd have to go buy a new one. I searched quickly on ebay and most of the books were the international editions.

 

[Cancer]

I usually stick to an off-campus book store like a walk away, they sell the same "college-branded special edition" books, but at a more flexible price. Also, it's a good place to actually sell these books back, and since they are "college-branded special edition" I am more likely to get a close price to what I originally pay for. If they are the normal version, as in not "college-branded special edition" then I usually see if I can get a good deal off amazon.com, especially with the awesome trial they offered for that "student prime trial 1-year offer. And best of all, I can just try and sell these books back over amazon.com/ebay.com or that "used off-campus bookstore".

So, after figuring out all these sources, and learning from my newbie experience of having the school bookstore eat $560" of my money in my first semester, and then getting a fine from my credit card for exceeding the $500 limit, I now am wiser and have been doing pretty well with college textbooks nowadays.

Hell yeah!

I might have to take a look into the book rentals now though, as I am approaching my 4th year, and then medical school. I expect my wallet will be feeling the pain even more now.

But I guess it will all be worth it in the end, eh? All the books, and the dept...Just for that name on a diploma, and the delicious pay the years after.

Good luck to all. All will be worth it in the end. Woot.

 

[Rizzo]

Too cool for school.

 

[Dan]

Checked them out of the library for the semester. Just keep renewing it.

 

[Cancer]

Checked them out of the library for the semester. Just keep renewing it.

Haha, that works too. Most of the time they don't even care if all you are doing is just going to scan the pages you actually need for that specific moment. :cheers:

Oh, and speaking of which. There is quite a selection of a lot of these textbooks.....in pdf format....online.

 

[PvtRyan]

I stopped buying the books after the first year.

 

[Qonfused]

^ Pretty much.

A good portion of my classes have required texts, but it's entirely possible to ace the course without looking once in the book. The ones I do buy are from the campus bookstore because they have surprisingly competitive prices and it's damn convenient.

 

[Raziaar]

Why are textbooks so expensive anyway?

 

[Cancer]

Why are textbooks so expensive anyway?

Most likely because that textbook publisher business is a monopoly. They know that you need the books and they know that there is little choice you have in what books you can get. Good luck finding a Biology book not published by Pearson. As a result they can up the price up to what ever people are willing to pay, and since there is little competition, that price is quite high. That's why they try to bundle all that other stuff like guides, cds, etc. so it makes it easier for you to void your returns, specifically in the college bookstores.

And also, because they hate trees.

 

[Krynn72]

Because of capitalism.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Or you are required to have the book to even participate in the class, but then they barely even use it throughout the course.

 

[ShadowArmy]

Usually a combination of all the above. Most of them I buy on amazon or a similar place, used. Because I can usually find a price not much higher than it would cost to rent it, and I might be able to sell it back afterwards (assuming a new edition isn't around the corner). It is only on some rare occasions that I HAVE to buy them at the bookstore because they are part of some custom/bundle pack that isn't sold anywhere else.

 

[Ennui]

I get my books both new and used at my uni bookstore.

If you shop elsewhere make sure you have the list of ISBNs so you get the correct editions / translations of things.

 

[hool10]

What I did was buy from Amazon Marketplace. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT ever buy new or from the school bookstore! Take this book I needed for college: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0716764288/ref=oss_product

Wow that's a lot for a book which is $114.72! Even more absurd is when your going for an Associate Degree in Welding Technology and your taking a course for Psychology. It's what you gotta do though to get enough credits to graduate. But if you go to the market place, you can get it for $8. The condition is just acceptable but you should try and get the most crappiest/cheapest book. Some teachers want you to have the book even if they don't use it but if you have it, they give you a passing grade in the course.

Some want the newest version because it has a slight alteration in the questions inside which is also stupid. If you are getting a book for a course that actually pertains to you, do try and get a good/like new/new condition. Good condition is normal (sometimes like new), like new is new, and new is new. Brand new just has a few crappy cd's and plastic wrapping.

Another reason not to buy from a school bookstore is when it comes time to resell the book. 99% of the time the bookstore will refuse to buy it due to a new edition for next semester, they don't accept the book even though they still sell it, or missing the crappy cd that came with it. If you manage to resell the book you will get pocket change.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Amazon for half of them and my uni book store for the others. My college subsidises the cost which makes the price a little less painful.