Buying Text Books Cheap

With a new term upon you, one of the things new students are going to need is text books. It can be a very expensive process, so try following these tips on how to buy and sell your student text books.

Make no mistake about it, publishers do not aid students very much and your text books will be a hefty sum from your beer money if you are not careful; college bookstores are often overpriced too! Be thankful that we now live in the age of the internet and, with a little time spent researching, you can save yourself a bundle.

Step 1 - Research

Many students rush into purchasing text books as they leave things to the last minute. Try finding out in advance what your course reading involves. Emailing your professor is worth the time and effort in the long run as they will usually have your reading prepared. Failing that try the secretary at the department. Getting ahead is one step closer to saving your student cash.

Step 2 - Buying Cheap Student Text Books

The first place I would recommend looking is Amazon.com. Using your advance knowledge, look for used copies of the books. You will find that a lot of students are now selling their books at the end of the semester in order to regain some of their spending. Don’t forget to factor in the shipping costs too!

Check student notice boards, or online classifieds like gumtree.com and you might find that you can strike a deal with a private seller from the same course as the one you are about to embark on.

If all this fails to meet your budget then you could also try buying an older edition of the book. If you intend to do this then do be careful. Check the table of contents (usually available on amazon) to see if there are any dramatic changes. You can sometimes get away with this as every couple of years the professors bring out a new edition and the University bookstores stop selling the older version - a good racket if you ask me - but whatever you do, NEVER buy an edition more than one edition out of date.  So if the latest edition is number six, do not bother with anything other than edition five.

Step 3 - Selling

Ok, so you will not have to do this for a while, but by keeping the books in as good a condition as possible you will be able to recoup some money when it comes to your turn to sell. Wherever possible, try to avoid marking the books - use pencil and avoid highlighters. Don’t use them as doorstops and keep the cover and binding in good condition.

Sell your books at the beginning of the semester when there are more people looking to buy, but don’t wait too long as you will be stuck with them. Try selling them back as used books on amazon, it is easy to set up an account and you will find that if you have stocked up on enough reading you should come out with enough money for a good night out to celebrate you passing your exams!