<p>The aggregate sites I use most often are dealoz.com and bigwords.com. I’ve bought and sold books from a variety of websites, marketplace sellers, eBay, and Craigslist. When looking at marketplace sellers, see if they have their own website which often has cheaper shipping.</p>
<p>While not in engineering, I’ve had a lot of professors who didn’t use the assigned book or made accommodations for less expensive options after classes started. Free 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime helped a lot in these cases. It’s also sometimes possible to find pdfs of textbooks for free online.</p>
<p>International editions can be a good deal and are most often the exact same as the US editions except for the soft cover. Non-hardcover editions, including the “money saving” loose leaf editions are notoriously hard to resell, which can make them more expensive in the long run.</p>
<p>In four years at Alabama, we probably spent $1,000 (son has degrees in econ and poli sci with minors in math and CBHP). I always checked for used books, but my son also had professors who did not always require books, which was super nice. Shop the used sites. Also, if you know upperclassmen in the same discipline, check and see if you can purchase a book from them or possibly, borrow it for the semester. That also will save some cash.</p>
<p>One other suggestion: If your student has a great relationship with his or her HS teachers, check and see if they have access to books needed. For example, my son’s HS AP English teacher often lends brand new novels to her former students to help cut costs. The catch? These students must highlight various passages or make notes what they found important/interesting and return the novel when done. She has a specific way she teaches, and these kids know what she expects, so each party benefits.</p>
<p>Yes to the suggesting of borrowing/trading books from friends. My younger son would trade books with pals.</p>
<p>Also, note that some sequenced classes (I think physics wth Cal is this way) will offer a double book option where the book is larger, but contains both semesters. these can be cheaper overall. However, the book is larger and more difficult to fit in a backpack.</p>
<p>Also worth noting that you may be able to claim back the cost of the books with the American Opportunity Tax Credit.</p>
<p>[American</a> Opportunity Tax Credit - Federal tax credit of up to $2,500 for undergraduate education](<a href=“http://taxes.about.com/od/deductionscredits/qt/American-Opportunity-Tax-Credit.htm]American”>What To Know About the American Opportunity Tax Credit)</p>
<p>I’m a ChemE major going into sophomore year. Last year I spent $700 in the fall and $70 in the spring. My fall classes included all the intro engineering classes (of which there will be fewer next year - and this probably accounts for $100-150 of that initial $700), some UH courses that didn’t require books, Chem I (with masteringChemistry), Calc I (with WebAssign), and CBH. Major expenses were Chem and Calc. My Calc instructor, Dr. Knese, told us the first day of class that we could find the bundle on the publisher’s website for about $100 less than I got it, but I already had the book by then. So bargain shopping could reduce your costs significantly.</p>
<p>Second semester, I only spent $70 total, and that was for Dr. Bara’s CHE 254 class, but a friend of mine literally spent nothing - she just rented a copy from Gorgas for free. A kind CBH upperclassman gave me her C++ book, my Calc II prof Dr. Trace didn’t use WebAssign and used the same book as Calc I, and Dr. Vincent (Chem II) worked with those of us who transferred to Honors Chem to get the new book’s code for free.</p>
<p>GREAT information. Thanks to the students who posted. Would you generally recommend waiting until classes begin to get books? Or go ahead?</p>
<p>My D usually emails her profs a few weeks before the semester starts, introduces herself and asks what materials/books are required. Then she knows exactly what to look for at used book stores and online.</p>