Inquiry about textbooks

Hi, I just enrolled in CCNY for fall 2023 and I would like to know where I might find used manuals to buy. If you have any information that would be very helpful.
Thanks.

Often the college bookstore will have used and/or rental copies of textbooks for courses (not always for the best prices, though). Otherwise, you can find used and rental copies on Amazon, used copies on Bookfinder, and rentals on Chegg. Just make sure you’re getting the right edition.

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Thank you for the information. I’ll look into it.

Wait until classes actually start and you have the syllabus to know what you actually need, since many professors use their own materials or e books.

And in addition to the above advice, sometimes the bookstores near campus will also have used text books.

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Email the prof to ask what is necessary to buy, what is only suggested supplementary, what online access materials you must have, and whether an older, cheaper edition will work. The search for these with online sellers like Abe books, Chegg, etc. Sometimes renting is cheaper.

Renting is always cheaper, but if it’s a class in your major, you might want to be able to keep the book after the semester’s over.

Actually, buying used can sometimes be cheaper than renting new, especially if prof okays an older edition. Point is, student seeking to keep costs low needs to consider all the options.

One of my kids mostly did her homework at the library using their copies of textbooks. I’m pretty sure all college libraries keep textbooks in their reference section, for use in the library. She saved a lot of money this way. Also, a lot of books are now available as PDFs for much less.

Probably an outlier, and some element of luck involved, but my daughter somehow managed to get the county’s cooperative library system to order the online/digital version of a text-/reference-book for her.

She had used their lookup system to search for availability, and then just pressed a button to request it. Kids! :exploding_head:

Seriously, in some states/libraries are so well funded, that they’re almost chasing after “customers” that don’t just want Harry Potter.