I am trying to find ways to save some money when I start this fall, and I don’t want to buy any textbooks that I do not need. Anyone have suggestions of what books I should buy (not specific ones thought), and should I get used ones or rent them?
FYI: I am an Mid-Level Math/Science Education Major, and I am taking the following courses this fall: English Comp 1, Trigonometry, Elementary Spanish 1, Lifetime Fitness & Wellness, and Intro to Art.
*I have a Precalculus for Dummies book I used for High School Precalculus. Will this help?
Please answer to the best of your ability! If you don’t know or are guessing, don’t reply!!!
I too suggest you buy the edition of the text that is required for each class. I know some students don’t but that usually turns out to be a big mistake. Factor in the cost of textbooks when considering the cost of education.
At my school, books are listed as either “required” or “recommended.” If a book is “required,” you usually need it because readings and homework problems are taken from it. Sometimes, free PDF versions are legally available online (either on the author’s website like [url=http://classicalrealanalysis.info/Textbooks.php]this[/url], or through something like Project Gutenberg if it’s an old book in the public domain).
Those probably aren’t mutually exclusive. The cheapest option is to rent a used book.
My kids often rented their books, bought used, or purchased from older students occasionally. Sometimes they got books from the college library (but you run the risk it won’t be available when you want it).
Check with your professor. Many classes have you do problem sets or reference particular sets of things in the book, something you may not get if you are simply reading other reference books. That said, buy used books, rent, or buy older editions. Many schools will have FB groups where you can get books for pretty cheap
UPDATE: Just registered, and my bill was generated. I only have $500 to buy ALL of my supplies for this semester, and this includes books! Now I need to find a way to save on BOTH books and other school supplies needed (I don’t need a computer, I already have one). Any Suggestions?
The other posters have given you great tips. I’d add that you could contact your professors asking them if you could purchase older editions of the textbooks.
College professors rely heavily on readings and assignments from textbooks, especially in general ed courses. As many have already pointed out, if they are required by the prof, you need to get them. As others have already stated, not buying (or renting) a required textbook or not registering for the online courseware is penny wise and pound foolish- students of mine who do not buy textbooks usually end up failing the course and having to retake it - time and tuition money down the drain.
If you already have a computer, the only other supplies you need would be notebooks etc. Not sure what supplies the art course would need. Tip: do NOT buy any school supplies at the college bookstore - you can buy at Staples and art stores at lower prices. You can rent books from amazon - however, many professors use online courseware , especially in math and maybe even languages. In that case you need to budget for that (around $100 per course) - the codes cannot be rented, and buying a used book in that case would be wasted. @lostaccount is correct - textbooks are a part of the college education budget. Look at your discretionary spending - can you scale back on the cell phone plan? Can you get a part time job in the summer for extra money?
@TomSrOfBoston why is the professor making the effort to put books on reserve - sometimes at their own expense for buying a copy of the book - a bad idea? Not everyone is going to go to the library, but at least it’s there if a student wants to take advantage of it. Yes, it could be difficult to obtain at some points (the day before the test?). But you’d prefer that the professor didn’t at least make the effort?
from everyone’s posts, I think i’ll go ahead and buy used copies from older students (except math, I’ll buy that new, because I actually use it as a reference for more math courses later. thanks to everyone who posted.
textbooks have become a real pain for students. I remember how much I had to struggle to buy the books that I needed for my course. You could check if there are any free downloadable PDF files of books available online. I even relied to xeroxing the chapters that were required for my term. Alternatively, get in touch with your seniors as they could help you with books if they have one.
Start looking for used books now. There are plenty of web sites where you can enter an ISBN and the web site will search the web for you to find the best used prices. No reason to buy the math book new. Look for used. Renting is an option but compare it to buying used. Sometimes used is cheaper.
College is different than HS. In college, a lot of professors only cover what they feel are the areas that need clarification or is likely to be confusing to the student. They assume that you have a textbook for everything else. If it is clearly explained in the textbook, do not be surprised if the professor doesn’t waste his and your time explaining it in class. Without textbooks, you could be lost.
If you buy used and then sell it, your book cost can be managed. Sometimes you will be caught where only new copies are available or you need an access code.