Any sage advice for buying textbooks for college?

[disneysteve]

It's time for DD to start buying her textbooks for the fall semester. Back when I went to school, the choices were new or used from the bookstore and that was pretty much it. Today, there are numerous options including renting from the bookstore, buying new or used online or renting online. We just started to browse last night - bookstore, Amazon, half.com, etc.

I guess one thing we have to figure out is if there are any books that are better to own vs. rent. So something like a math book would be fine to rent but a foreign language text she might want to hold onto for a year or two while she continues to study the language.

Also, when renting, you can't really do much highlighting or note making in the book, so we have to think about that too.

For those who have been through this more recently, please share your experiences.

[riverwed070707]

The good news about all the online options is that you can often buy cheaper and at the end of the semester turn around and resell for almost all your money back. When buying new or used from the school's bookstore you're lucky to get 20% of what you paid back.

Renting wasn't really a big thing when I was in college (graduated in 08) and one of the frustrations I had was with big expensive science books that come out with a new edition every other year. Once a new edition is released the value of your copy declines significantly. You don't encounter this as much with other subjects as you do science.

My best money saving tips would be to either rent or buy one edition back from the most recent when it comes to science texts, and don't forget to get your books listed as soon as your done with them for a better chance of selling for the upcoming semester. I've always had good luck selling on half.com but I've bought from a number of places. It pays off to spend some time shopping the best rates for all of your books.

[disneysteve]

The good news about all the online options is that you can often buy cheaper and at the end of the semester turn around and resell for almost all your money back.

I'll definitely get her to sell any books she buys as soon as she's done with them. As this is her very first semester, she's not plugged into that system yet so she's starting from scratch. I know when I was in school, there were also a lot of individual students selling their books at the end of the semester, posting on the bulletin boards (probably on facebook today).

[bjl584]

When I was in grad school I didn't step foot into the campus book score the entire time that I was enrolled. I bought everything online. Most of the books that I bought were from Half.com.

I'd find out the ISBN number for the text book on the first day of class and rush order the book that evening. Sometimes I'd buy one version back and save a ton. For instance, if the class was using a book that was version 2.1, then I'd search for version 2.0. I'd buy books for pennies on the dollar in that manner. And, version 2.0 was about 98% the same as version 2.1. It was identical enough to easily make it through the class and be able to complete all the assignments.

You can sell them on Half.com when you are done too, so you can recoup most of your money.

[snafu]

University text books are such a racket! Often a 'new edition' merely has a few changes that doesn't make it worth the cost. Check FB, put up 'Wanted' lists on every available electronic site. Some books are available as e-books. Very few books are worth keeping, there is usually something better available.

[JoeP]

University text books are such a racket! Often a 'new edition' merely has a few changes that doesn't make it worth the cost. Check FB, put up 'Wanted' lists on every available electronic site. Some books are available as e-books. Very few books are worth keeping, there is usually something better available.

This was my opinion as well. I hated having to buy the updated edition, when the prof could have easily verbally updated necessary sections during that lecture. Plus, spending up around $120 for a book that will become obsolete in a matter of years? That $120 book would be bought back for just $20 if you kept it in mint condition. There had to be some wheeling and dealing collusion going on to screw over students.

I'm shocked that everything isn't available in digital format these days. You'd cut out all the expenses associated with producing a physical book, save trees, and cut back on the overhead associated with maintaining racks of books.

[edg126]

at my university, books were organized by the course. So I went there, wrote down the book, year, isbn, then went on half.com and bought them (right at the store on my phone or laptop, I didn't care). That might not be an option depending on timing, and the first semester there's enough chaos with kids that you don't want to throw in another barrier by trying to get older versions, digital copies etc.

After the first semester, see if the school library lends out copies for the semester, or if the professor does, or if the professor lets you use an older version. Or just use an older version, and find a digital copy that probably will be passed around the students. The digital copy can be used for questions, and the hardcover to study.

Then sell back immediately. There's very few textbooks you'll need for further classes, but depends on the major. In college I spent so much money on textbooks and lost out. In gradschool I spend next to nothing, usually putting the texts right back on half.com for the same purchase price.


In an semi-related topic, I watch some courses on youtube that are filmed a few years ago, I love that at the time the texts were $300 for a BIO or anatomy text. Now that the videos are 5 years old, I can buy them for $.75!

[Eagle]

I have relatives who are in college or recently graduated that buy e-books. $20 or less via e-book or $100 or more with a textbook. A kindle or ipad may be worth it. Food for thought.

When I was in college I tried to find people from the previous semester who took the classes I was going to take and buy them off of them. Good idea to have upper classmen friends.

[disneysteve]

She is old-fashioned. She really wants physical books, not e-books. I can understand that. I'm the same way.

Besides, the electronic editions aren't much cheaper (which is an even bigger ripoff).

The whole thing is a giant scam. I don't believe it actually costs $250 to produce a copy of a textbook.

[JoeP]

She is old-fashioned. She really wants physical books, not e-books. I can understand that. I'm the same way.

Besides, the electronic editions aren't much cheaper (which is an even bigger ripoff).

The whole thing is a giant scam. I don't believe it actually costs $250 to produce a copy of a textbook.

There is absolutely collusion, and it should be illegal. I'd like to see the cost breakdown of a physical textbook versus an electronic edition, to see where the money is going.

[Baby_nurse]

Most colleges offer text book rentals, which run between 1/4 and 1/3 the price of a new textbook. Amazon also offers textbook rentals. We've used this approach for the past 2 years with my daughter and it's saved a ton. There were some we couldn't rent, but even purchasing on Amazon instead of the university bookstore was a real money saver.

[disneysteve]

Most colleges offer text book rentals, which run between 1/4 and 1/3 the price of a new textbook. Amazon also offers textbook rentals. We've used this approach for the past 2 years with my daughter and it's saved a ton. There were some we couldn't rent, but even purchasing on Amazon instead of the university bookstore was a real money saver.

Thanks. With rentals, how much highlighting can you do and still have them take it back?

[Drake3287]

Our kids have either rented the books, bought them used online from Amazon or purchased new. There's a big learning curve for both us parents and student when it comes to books. We also try to resell any old books we have on Amazon.

[Baby_nurse]

Thanks. With rentals, how much highlighting can you do and still have them take it back?

You can not mark up the book if you are renting it. It needs to be returned in the same condition it was received. We didn't find that to be a problem because DD likes to write things out vs highlighting.

[disneysteve]

You can not mark up the book if you are renting it. It needs to be returned in the same condition it was received. We didn't find that to be a problem because DD likes to write things out vs highlighting.

That's what I figured. That'll work for some books, like math, but not for others, like history.

Definitely a learning curve.