by Marío Solano Video Editor
Are you willing to start your college experience on a budget? Even though this question might seem crazy, you can find ways to save some money while you are browsing for textbooks. Don’t be afraid to do extensive research before making your purchases on the class materials you will need for the rest of the semester. Here are some tips I believe will help new students with this investment: Don’t buy your textbooks before classes start This tip is one of the most important advice that you will get before beginning your college experience: don’t buy the required textbooks until you feel you need them to pass the class. I know that getting your textbooks is one of the things you want to get out of the way as quickly as possible (especially since the bookstore emails you the list of your required books multiple times during the week), but you will save hundreds of dollars if you wait until classes start. Some professors will try to tell you that you will need them no matter what. Some of them are right, but others, not so much. Wait to see if you need the textbooks for the tests and assignments you will have to complete. I wish I had known this before starting my freshman year! Consider e-books College life is frantic, and you don’t want to carry your textbook with you everywhere, especially considering the size of our campus. I advise you to think about purchasing e-books. You will be able to download a copy of your textbook on your computer so that you can use it at any time. As a fan of getting physical books, I have learned that getting e-books is more convenient for me. Digital textbooks are also cheaper than their physical counterparts! Research online to get the best prices Treat this as your first in-depth assignment of the semester: go through multiple websites, like Amazon or Chegg, to pass the hurdle of expensive textbooks. Remember to check the availability and the delivery
dates before purchasing since many college students are buying the same books at the same time. Some professors post the first chapters of the textbooks they will use on the class Canvas page so that you have a little bit more time to buy them. You might require some assistance from them since sometimes they are asking for a specific edition of a textbook. They can tell you where to find the cheapest copy of their required book, so you can ask them for advice before confirming your order online. You can also try to find the cheapest options through some local bookstores in Charlotte or ask your classmates if they want to buy it with you.
your books is also cheaper than buying them, and once the semester is over, you can return them with a prepaid shipping label since you are probably never going to use them again. This will not only help your pockets, but it will also help the environment. Reusing is better than buying! As you can see, buying textbooks can be an adventure, like many other aspects of college life. Don’t be afraid to take your time while researching for the cheapest option!
Compare prices with the campus bookstore Although it’s convenient to get your textbooks from the campus bookstore due to its location, they sometimes sell more expensive copies than other book stores or websites. Be sure to compare prices with other retailers before buying them from the bookstore. If you end up buying your textbooks on campus, try to do it as quickly as possible since they might run out of what you need. The demand for some classes can be very high due to the number of students taking them. Renting is better than buying Look out for rentals in the places where you are trying to buy your textbooks! I was scared that renting books meant the books were in poor condition. I rented them last year, and I was surprised to see that they looked new. I was able to use them without noticing that they were rented! Renting
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