We found an instance of a freshman Chem (I think it was Chem) book being far more expensive at Amazon than the school bookstore. Many times Amazon is cheaper, but I would not assume so and check both.
There are some comparison sites that search all the major players at the same time. Great for buying. There are similar sites for when it comes time to sell too. Makes it very easy to see what’s what. There isn’t much rhyme or reason. One book on one site will be higher than the same on another site. But for another title, it will be opposite. I guess it depends on supply/demand of title.
A quick google search on Textbook Comparison will find you several to work with.
Second @gouf78 comment about ISBN. We have used most of the sites mentioned before, and the key is finding used books/rentals. No one site has been that consistent so just shope around.
Used books that you sell back are usually going to be the cheapest deal.
The good news is that textbooks are much cheaper for kids now then they were before the internet. I woudl say we spend less than $200 on books per year.
D and I rent most of ours from our schools or from Amazon. D has rented from knetbooks (which is same company as ecampus I believe) with nothing bad to report, but she may be in the minority. I’ve rented from 3rd parties but only through amazon.
If you do rent from anyone other than amazon make a million reminders about when the book is due back. Yes its the students responsibility to know when their books are due, and to make sure they get back by that date, but some companies (amazon) are extremely good about reminding you, and other companies intentionally dont. Many of these sites rent cheaply so they can make all their money from absurd late penalties. (Also watch out for similar from campus book store.)
Some bookstores price match. Also if any of the classes require novels or other books found in normal bookstores, get them there if they are cheaper. Also with books for the major, it may be cheaper to buy in the long run because you may need to use it again, even just for reference.
@shellz personally, id wait until the first day of school to see if the professor actually used the books, the saying or stories that some professors will open up a book for 1 paragraph isn’t a joke. instead of buying like 8 of the required books my semester i bought 2 and rented 1. online e books are the best and dirt cheap.
Agreed with that last comment, I just started getting e-books for this coming semester and I love it. Only one of my textbooks has been released so far, but the bookstore price was around $175 ($95 to rent it). I got the e-book for $45 from a site called CengageBrain, and I can access it whenever I want for the next six months (it also has a highlighting and note-taking function).
Otherwise, I like to rent whenever I can. Returning can be a hassle, and if it’s something like a novel I’ll usually just buy it. But renting full-blown textbooks saves me several hundred dollars every semester.
Wow, thank you all! Sounds like waiting until class begins would be good. Since son is paying, (we reimburse tuition/books for As and Bs) I think he will be happy to hear that advice! I hope Rate My Professors site is at least a little bit credible–several comments noted the professor for stats class my son is enrolled in does not utilize the book. Here’s hoping he can buy the code for the online portion separately!
The best resource for information is asking kids who have taken the class. Each college has a twitter page kids use. Simply tweet if anyone has taken professor X for a class and what books are actually needed. This has proven to be a great asset for me. I order alot of books off EBay but I always look for sellers who are located near me. I will pay a little extra to get a book 2 days quicker.
@shellz a lot of times you can for the online portions for quizzes and homework, on another note rate my proffesor is very credible, make sure the comment is for his level of stat lets say stat 250 not something else the professor might teach as some professors can change completely depending on the class level. 10/10 times the school store has the books broken up in online portion only or the book only, or both. Good luck and i wish him the best.
My D bought mostly used books freshman year last year (primarily from Amazon) and resold them, recouping about half of what she paid for them)
She took a class this summer, and the used price was still exorbitant, so she rented from Amazon. Only $14.95, which included return postage, I think. The drawback is that you can’t highlight or write in the book. And you’re on the hook if lose the book, dump a drink on it, etc.