<p>this may seem like a really silly question, but i was wondering where and how we should get our textbooks and other reading materials for our classes.. i know there is an online book reservation system through ucsd but i was thinking of getting them on half.com or amazon.com since they may be cheaper? is that a good idea? when or where do we get a list of the reasings we will need? sorry if this is a horrible question!</p>
<p>Lots of folks buy from Half.com and Amazon so you're in plenty of company if you do. In most cases, those sites are cheaper than the bookstore. You'll get your reading lists in the syllabus you get on the first day. So, you'll have the option of waiting to buy your books until you get those lists.</p>
<p>we looked at half.com and amazon and compared it to the bookstore prices. The main problem is that you are buying books from separate buyers and hence will be getting them at different times. The bookstore offers bundle packages which when taking in account of delivery charges from online sites equals about the same and in some cases was even less! We were told that if we found that we didn't need a certain book we ordered from the bookstore that we could return it no problem - so after much hassle of looking online trying to find the right book, we took the easier way out and ordered through the university bookstore reservation! Hope that helps!</p>
<p>Do we pay when we reserve the books or when we pick them up? Is it ok to un-reserve the books? Is there any penalty?</p>
<p>I remember them adding the charges to your student account so you pay it when you pay your statement.</p>
<p>Is it better to wait until the 29th (or later) to receive books at school from half.com, or get them shipped to my house and have to pack them when I drive down :S?</p>
<p>you could also look at the facebook marketplace if the book you want isn't on half or amazon. it's usually more expensive since the other students want to make a larger profit, but it's still a better option than the bookstore.</p>
<p>the bookstore is never cheaper than online. if you have ever bought from the bookstore, you got ripped off and weren't tech-savvy enough to find a cheaper copy online.* (Sorry, I hate the bookstore.)</p>
<p>buy them now and get them shipped to your house now. then bring them down to SD. otherwise, wait till you get to your dorm, order there and get them shipped to your dorm in SD.</p>
<p>*exceptions: when the bookstore stocks books that are used for one more quarter before they stock the next edition, it may be cheaper. new, thin novel books are easier to just buy at the store. few other exceptions apply, but i can't think of them now. i've bought a total of 3 books from the bookstore...out of maybe 20-25.</p>