<p>I’m thinking about giving my son $x of dollars for textbooks, with the idea if he comes in less than that he can keep the difference. (Hoping he will be smarter with his purchases if he knows he can keep what’s leftover.)</p>
<p>Edited: using bookfinder.com to get an estimate</p>
<p>^^^Probably More, but there are ways to save: buy used (if it doesn’t matter to him), trade (works better after you have accumulated some texts), rent (yes, textbooks), buy softcover instead of hard cover, and shop around for best prices. The cost will depend on the courses taken, STEM textbooks usually cost more and each class may have more than one book.</p>
<p>That’s so variable dependent on major. My D’s biggest costs have been for math & science textbooks; since she started off as a history major our costs were relatively low (probably $300 or less per semester.) However, we’re seeing much bigger #'s now that she’s picking up a business major & has to buy calc & accounting books. </p>
<p>Does he have his schedule yet? You can plug the classes into [The</a> University of Alabama Supply Store](<a href=“Buy Course Materials | University of Alabama Supply Store”>Buy Course Materials | University of Alabama Supply Store) and get a ballpark figure.</p>
<p>FYI: D & I always check half.com, ebay, bn.com, amazon.com and alibris.com before deciding where to buy a textbook.</p>
<p>My original estimate was $300 and that’s the exact amount I came up with when I used Bookfinder.com. (Coincidence, I’m sure.) Some books aren’t showing up yet, though. I guess it’s in the ballpark, anyway.</p>
<p>We’ve purchased books for four classes and they came in around $180. The calculus book was almost half the cost (though used). Love Amazon prime and the free shipping. </p>
<p>Does anyone know if there will be a required book for Alabama Action? The only other class besides that is CBH, which hasn’t listed any books yet.</p>
<p>STEM books and Foreign Language books seem to be costly for us.</p>
<p>Just got all of my son’s books for the fall. Five classes. All used. Totaled: $239.99. I went through Amazon and really sought for the best price and condition. RobD is right. Look at a variety of sites for the best price.</p>
<p>OK, I must be missing something…S has not yet attended Bama Bound but based on the classes he is hoping to get here is what the link above to the Supe Store has listed</p>
<p>English 103 $75 (minimum there were several other books listed but not marked as required)
Cal 3 $192.70 Cal bundle with ebook, web assign
Freshman seminar $85 or $131
Micro Econ ??? not listed
LGS 200 ??? not listed</p>
<p>so that is already $352 (with used books where listed)
What is the Cal bundle with ebook? I would assume they need this?</p>
<p>Boy this is really making those AP classes, AP exam and CLEP exam fees look even better :)</p>
<p>^^^Books can be a major expense, it really depends on the individual class. If your student is taking a lot of classes which require multiple books, and they have lab sections which also require books, the cost can really add up quickly. Some books simply cannot be bought elsewhere and must be purchased at the SUPE Store (sort of like a self published book). Keep in mind that some used books are written in, or highlighted and some students find this distracting when they study. Also, some students don’t like to rent because they keep their texts as reference material. It is a personal choice whether to buy used or new but either way, it can be costly.</p>
<p>our first semester, DH insisted we buy all her books at the campus bookstore. it came in well over 600.</p>
<p>DD has done far better than that every semester since then with a combo of used thru amazon or half, international versions, renting (make sure not to rent books you will need for more than one semester).</p>
<p>one tip is that you can buy any books you think you may need at the campus bookstore. then you have them in case you need them for the first few days of class. you have up until a certain date to return them for a full refund. during this time you can look for and order cheaper versions if you can find them, then return the books you don’t need before the deadline.</p>
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<p>Good to know, Mike. Thanks for that tip! We’ve found good deals on used books for all of D’s classes that have books specified already, but she has a couple classes for which books aren’t listed yet. Is there some date by which professors have to have the books listed (so the bookstore can have them on hand, for instance)?</p>
<p>As an engineering major, I spent upwards of 600 dollars last semester. That was with buying used textbooks and buying a couple from friends. I had two books cost about 250 each. But for a freshman, I would recommend not buying the book until after the first day of class. Usually professors will say if you need the newest edition, or if you can get away with an older edition, which would save money. Then just order the book with two day shipping (Amazon Prime would probably be a good investment in this case).</p>
<p>Or if your name is Hermione Granger and you simply must have all the textbooks before classes begin, email the prof to ask about the books before the semester starts. Then buy them through whatever source you desire (the SupeStore is a rip off and a last resort). A word of warning about returning textbooks to the SupeStore. Often the return window is limited to about 48 hours after the first day of classes. So if you go with the buy from there and return approach, make sure you get it in on time, and that it isn’t opened or damaged!</p>