<p>Any comments on Barnes and Noble vs. Buckeye Books? If you want to buy books through Amazon, what is the most expedient way to get the ISBNs of the books you’ll need? Also, how easy is it to buy used books directly from other students who just took the course you will be taking? Thanks.</p>
<p>When my D received her schedule at orientation I asked one of the current students about ordering books. He recommended to reserve textbooks online via Barnes & Noble at the Gateway Plaza on High Street. It was very easy. Each book defaults to used books. As the books become available, they pull them and box them. They pull books as they become assigned as well. During the first week of school, the kids can go to the store and get their books (I hear the lines are long!). He advised to go this way for first semester for ease. He said with Amazon, you take the risk of getting books late.</p>
<p>I heard about the Barnes & Noble’s reservation program as well, but was told that in most cases Barnes and Noble is the more expensive option for textbooks compared to buying online or via one of the other High Street book sellers. I was also told that if you are lucky, you can get a library copy of a textbook, either for the entire quarter or for the first few days while you wait for your textbook to arrive.</p>
<p>Yes. That’s all true. For sake of ease for her first semester, we opted for the B&N, but we’ll seek a cheaper option for winter quarter after she learns more about her other options.</p>
<p>Thanks. Buckeye Books is close to his likely dorm and he can reserve his books online there too. Not sure if he will do this or reserve through B&N, wait to see the ISBNs, see which books he can get elsewhere, and then just pay for the ones he doesn’t have by the time he gets to OSU. There’s a site where he can rent textbooks too I think.</p>
<p>Sounds like a plan. I also read about textbook rentals. I don’t know too much about it. They’ll figure it out once they get there and speak to other kids.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Barnes & Noble is usually the most expensive, I go to one of the several others on high street first. I like SBX. </p>
<p>I personally use half.com to get books online. But books are usually late unless I know which ones I need unusually early, so you can:
a) pay for quick shipping, you might still save money from buying in person.
b) borrow from a classmate/the library
c) buy the 1st book you’ll use in person, and the rest online - this works well for classes with lots of novels, for example.</p>
<p>How to find out what books you’ll need:
[Welcome</a> to Barnes & Noble - The Ohio State University*Bookstore](<a href=“http://ohiostate.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePage?storeId=33552&catalogId=10001&langId=-1]Welcome”>http://ohiostate.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePage?storeId=33552&catalogId=10001&langId=-1)</p>
<p>Scroll down to “Buy Your Textbooks On-Line Today!” and enter the information. Right now there probably won’t be any information, just a preorder offer. Usually professors won’t report books until a few weeks before the quarter starts at best - some never report them (you just wait until you receive the syllabus.) Eventually it will give you the ISBN of the books you need, which you can then buy wherever you want.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m an going to OSU in the Spring so I don’t know about their bookstores, but at my current school, and I imagine this is the same most places, the books are astronomical! I use Amazon, and I save a tone of money! i paid six bucks for a fair condition chemistry book online, and it was almost 100 bucks at the bookstore, and I have never not received my books online though i am sure it sometimes happens, in which case, because of the savings, I would order another one the same way! I am 40 and my daughter just graduated and I tell her to watch her(my) pennies and do it this way too. There is PLENTY of time to get the books for Fall. Typically my books over the past couple of years have ranged in price from less than 10 dollars, to 40 ish…instaed of 60 to 150!</p>