<p>im starting at mt holyoke in the fall as a first year i was wondering how much money it wud cost to purchase textbooks next semester...also i heard theres a way to rent textbooks on campus as well? cud someone give me such info on this and on what exactly isnt the easiest and cheapest way to get textbooks? thanks alot</p>
<p>The cost depends on the what classes you take. My daughter, a studio art major/computer science minor , spent about $250-$350 on books and art supplies per semester. She would budget $500 but never ending up spending that much.
She always bought her books online and found the cheapest prices that way.</p>
<p>The ability to buy your books on-line in advance really depends on your department and professors. For me, it’s not really an option because we don’t get our book lists until the first day of classes, even if we e-mail professors in advance to ask for them. (Some will do it, but at least in my area, most won’t.) Even if you go into Odyssey a week or so before the start of classes, they’re usually still receiving books and don’t have them all out yet. I usually have at least one class where the Odyssey doesn’t have our books until shortly after the first class, but the professors know that happens and they don’t hold it against us. It’s just one of the trade-offs of using an independent bookstore.</p>
<p>I spent probably about $450 in the fall and $175 in the spring. It can really vary quite a bit based on the professors and courses you’re taking, so I always over-budget and assume I need $500 per semester. A lot of professors do leave their materials on hold in the library, so you can check them out for a couple hours at a time and read them there. Some of my friends do that, but I prefer having my own copies.</p>