I saw this on facebook: Jennifer Fundora–University of Oklahoma Class of 2020
20 hrs ·
PROTIP for incoming freshmen: the on-campus bookstore is the WORST place to buy your textbooks. You will likely end up paying list price on a book for over $200.00 when you can get that same book at TextSurf.com for as little as $10-15. When it’s time you get your books, be sure to price compare first at TextSurf.com!
Is this just an ad with no basis in reality? Are there other good places to buy textbooks?
You can sometimes find used books on Amazon or half.com for cheaper than the book store. Definitely true.
Yep. It’s important to do your research when buying books though. Many students wait to buy their books until they have heard from their professors. Some professors e-mail before the start of classes and some just discuss it during the first class while going through the syllabus. Some professors will tell you that you don’t need the textbook, that it’s optional, or even that you MUST purchase the one from the OU bookstore. For example, there are some textbooks that have modified “OU Copies” that you have to buy for a class. Others include access codes that may or may not be available online.
Once you’ve heard the specifics of what you need from your professor, you can determine the best way to purchase your books. I typically buy most of mine on Amazon, but there are a number of places you can purchase them at a cheaper rate than the OU bookstore.
I have not been in college for quite a while. But when I was at UF for Law School and UMSL for my MBA the University Bookstores carried “USED” books that were so-labeled. You could sell your books to them too. Does OU’s bookstore do this?
Yea, but there are now a million ways to get more money for your used textbooks. Rather than be limited to one or two sellers around campus, the internet allows students to sell to other students across the country.
You might also want to try [BigWords.com](http://www.bigwords.com).
I think my D has ordered her books online from different places (halfprice book) for the fall semester. She got it confirmed with her Prof for few courses. But for few instructor name is not yet given for her class. All that I noticed, few packages keep coming and I am receiving since she is on her vacation to a different country. She also mentioned the price is too high at OU book store.
I found one book at the OU bookstore cheaper to rent used from them for the semester than any other place. It was listed as a “suggested” book not “required” so she going to hold off on that one until she’s there and can look through it. It’s only $4.99 to rent it for the semester at OU.