Playing the Textbook Game

Hello again! It's a new year and a new semester here at IU in Bloomington, and as usual everyone has been busy busy busy! As usual, people are rushing around trying to find their classes, reorganizing their schedules and (much to their dismay) buying textbooks.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear before I begin this blog post: buying textbooks will very likely be one of the most painful experiences of your college career. When I came to college, I was convinced that the complaints I had heard were overblown and that there was no way textbooks could be as expensive as I had heard. When I got to the checkout counter at a local bookstore and shelled out $490 for my first semester's books I discovered that I WAS WRONG. I'm writing this blog post because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did! Over time I learned the tricks of the textbook game, and I'm going to share them here with you to save you some time, money and heartache.


Very quickly, I want to give a brief overview of the two bookstores in Bloomington in case you ever decide you would like to purchase your books in person. The first is the IU Bookstore, located in the Indiana Memorial Union. I've been told that purchasing your books there is beneficial to the university, but I also have found that they tend to be a little more expensive than the other option in town.

T.I.S. is located on 3rd Street and can be reached by IU bus. In comparison to the IU Bookstore it is cheaper, more relaxed and I find that their organizational system for finding books is far better. They also offer a fantastic rewards program.

When I arrived for my first semester at IU, I had heard from a few sources that I could save money buying my textbooks online. Nonetheless, I was afraid that the books I needed wouldn't arrive in time for my first day of class or that I would make a purchase online that I would later regret (ex. a book in poor condition). Up until the second semester of my junior year I purchased my books at T.I.S., convinced that the extra money I was paying was worth the peace of mind. Once again, I was wrong! Since switching to online textbook buying/renting I have saved HUNDREDS of dollars, have yet to receive a torn up book and have never received a book late in the mail.


Just a side note here for incoming students. If you don't have a textbook for the first day of class, don't worry! Some students don't even purchase their books until after they've seen the syllabus to ensure that they'll actually use them. I don't recommend that practice, but if you've ordered your books and they haven't arrived in time for your first class, don't panic! Your professor will not be upset. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a class where we used the book on the first day.

When I finally got tired of spending hundreds of dollars on textbooks and not being able to sell them back because new editions had been released, I decided to give online textbook shopping a try. A friend of mine had used Chegg, an online rental service, and swore by it. I decided to check it out and found that I could rent a book for the fraction of the price of purchasing it at the bookstore. You would simply rent the book online and send it back at the end of the semester. Even better, the return shipping was free! I have used Chegg EVER SINCE for nearly all of my textbook needs! When you get ready to purchase your textbooks, be sure to look into the resource. It's a great way to save money, and they even plant a tree for every book you purchase.


Now, there are rare occasions when I do not use Chegg for a certain book. A lot of professors will assign what I refer to as "regular books" for required reading. These are books you could likely find in a Barnes and Noble, and usually run for around $20. Normally, you can rent a used copy of this type of book for the same cost of purchasing a new copy. In this case, I always go to half.com to see what kind of deals I can dig up. I can normally purchase a $25 book for only $3-5, and I once found a $50 book for $5!


Summary
Don't be afraid to buy OR rent your books online! It is MUCH CHEAPER than buying them in person, and by using reputable companies like Chegg you can ensure that you'll have a positive experience.

Links:
http://www.chegg.com
http://www.half.com