<p>When should we purchase books for our classes? I'm thinking about buying them now, but I'm a bit hesitant.</p>
<p>no, don’t buy them now.</p>
<p>after you move in, buy them online and get them shipped to your dorm. also note that you shouldn’t buy any of the optional books off the bat, and also even some of the “required” texts aren’t actually required (ie the professor’s exams are all based on lecture).</p>
<p>Also, be sure to check out alternate ways of buying books. [screwthemiddleman.com</a> - Never Get Cheated.](<a href=“http://www.screwthemiddleman.com%5Dscrewthemiddleman.com”>http://www.screwthemiddleman.com) is a site for USC students to sell books to each other. You could also find some upperclassmen and buy books off them.</p>
<p>I saved about $180 on books last semester by using ebay.</p>
<p>oh, and i highly recommend allbookstores.com if you’re purchasing any textbooks online. it basically grabs the lowest prices from like 30 different online stores and displays them to you with prices including shipping.</p>
<p>Just make sure you don’t buy any international editions, especially if you’re going to be doing homework problems from the book.</p>
<p>also check out chegg.com. its basically a book rental site where you rent the books for the semester and then ship them back. its cheap and you arent stuck trying to sell back books</p>
<p>As everyone is saying, shop around! Look for free shipping, use ISBN numbers not titles, buy the correct edition… And buy from a bunch of different sources to get the best price and free shipping on each.</p>
<p>Great suggestions above - also check out Amazon Marketplace for used books (look for ones that qualify for “Free Super-Saver shipping”). For some of the higher-priced books that are new editions (so there are not a lot of used books hanging around) it sometimes turns out to be cheaper to use a Borders coupon and buy new. Here is a 33% off any single item code good through 7/8: BGW7950L . On a $150 book for example, you would save $49.50 and get free shipping.</p>
<p>Shop around!</p>
<p>***For the Borders coupon, only order ONE item in the order - they take the 33% off the lowest-priced item, so if you order a paperback on the same order, THAT would be the discounted item. And for *free shipping *it should be regularly-priced at $35 or more to meet the $25 minimum for free shipping</p>
<p>When will the book list for fall 2010 be posted?</p>
<p>It’s usually posted about a week to two weeks before classes start.</p>
<p>Many classes have the books listed right now in the schedule of courses on the right side of the class listing under “info” with a tiny icon that looks like a stack of three books. Click on the icon. The booklist for that class, including title, price and ISBN number should pop up.</p>
<p>[Fall</a> 2010 | Schedule of Classes](<a href=“http://web-app.usc.edu/soc/term_20103.html]Fall”>302 Found)</p>
<p>Current Borders code, good for 33% off any one book through July 12th:</p>
<p>BAB7973E</p>
<p>Well, good news is that it looks like I’ll only have to buy 3 books this semester. Bad news? They cost $100 to $200 each. Time to call some friends and buy off them, looks like.</p>
<p>The Borders coupons though, they are amazing. 33% off? I don’t even know how they do it! (OK well I do know…)</p>
<p>So its best to buy books after school starts to see what we need/don’t need, right? Should I worry about books not being shipped in time and all? I’m supposed to buy 7 books for my GE class, and I’m hoping I don’t need all 7!</p>
<p>Another question, do book editions really matter, say for an ‘Atlas of World Geography’ or ‘Writing Research Papers’? I can’t imagine any dramatic changes in such books, except maybe for page numbers…</p>
<p>Keeping you current: Borders (on-line) 33% off any single item through July 15</p>
<p>BYH7970P</p>
<p>Those of you who are planning ahead can order one book on each coupon as the summer progresses until you get all your expensive books at 33% off (or more - every now and then I get a 40% one, too).</p>
<p>Can we buy International Student Edition which is much cheaper. sometimes just 1/10 of the US Edition</p>
<p>^ See post #6</p>
<p>i use chegg.com and rent my textbooks.</p>
<p>international editions aren’t a big deal in reading-intensive courses that don’t give out hw problems. i used the int’l version for genetics and physiology and it worked out fine for me.</p>
<p>Do NOT rent from Chegg.com. If anything happens that you do not return the book on time they automatically charge you full price for the book (I rented one and right when it was due to be back, there was a death in my family. Completely forgot about the book until over $200.00 was charged to my credit card purchasing the book. When I called Chegg to talk to someone regarding it I first got told there was nothing they could do for me and hung up. Second time I called I got told someone would call me back within 24 hrs. (Manager/Supervisor) 3 days later I called again and was informed it was 24 Business hours (8 hours a day = 72 hours, not including the weekend. So i called on Thursday night expecting to hear back from someone by end of business on Friday and then found out Monday no, I would hear back from someone by end of business on Tuesday of that week.) When they called me back (should have been by Tuesday, it actually was later then that either Wed. or Thurs. of that week. 5-6 days to have someone return a call is a bit excessive). I was left a voicemail with no number to call them back directly at (I was at work and unable to answer the phone). Also in the message they told me that there was no refunds available once you purchase the book, even if I could (which I offered numerous times) offer verification of death with a copy of death notice which includes my name and city which would match up with the information on my account for both billing and shipping.</p>
<p>Now Chegg wants me to “let us know how we did” by taking a survey they repeatedly keep sending to me. WORST SITE EVER! They lure you in and are unwilling to assit customers when a real issue arises.</p>