| 1. Buy online. | | | | chapter, if there is an extra chapter added to the |
| If you go to alibris.com, or amazon.com, or | | | | latest edition. If you need to have the latest edition, |
| chapters.com, you can often get a good selection of | | | | buying online is probably your best way to find the |
| books at a discounted price. Alibris and Amazon are | | | | cheapest one. |
| particularly helpful because they have used books | | | | Textbooks are not the only books that you have to |
| available. Amazon offers you used books through | | | | be edition-savvy for. If you are slated to read Cat on |
| their marketplace option. Alibris automatically searches | | | | a Hot Tin Roof, there have been many different |
| for used books. Remember that when you order | | | | versions of this book published (and some you can |
| books online you can often get free shipping. At | | | | get at a used bookstore for only a scant few |
| Amazon, the free shipping is not available with used | | | | dollars). Ask your prof (you can phone or email them) |
| books. So grab a calculator and find out what the | | | | if they want you to have a particular edition. |
| best option for you is. | | | | Sometimes they want you to (literally) be on the |
| If you start looking for your books in advance, | | | | same page as them; other times they just want you |
| certain online sites offer you discounts if you shop | | | | to follow along as best you can. If they want you to |
| more often. Alibris will send you a coupon for 10% | | | | get a certain critical edition, again, offer to photocopy |
| off your next purchase. Is it worth it to break your | | | | the literary criticism. |
| order up to get this discount? Do you know | | | | 4. Weigh the Benefits. |
| someone who recently bought books online, and can | | | | Some books are considered recommended reading. Is |
| you borrow their code? Can you find any special | | | | it worth getting? Is the prof ever going to refer to |
| discount keys on the internet? (These discount | | | | these books? Why not wait until later in the year. If |
| codes won't be available on the site itself: you will | | | | the prof mentions something crucially important in a |
| need to google other sites to find out). | | | | certain book, then you can consider getting the book |
| One last point about buying books online: eBay, | | | | later if you need to. You'd be surprised how many |
| though not specializing in books, often has books at a | | | | books make the syllabus without even being |
| fraction of their cost. Just check the shipping prices | | | | mentioned through the entire year. |
| to make sure that you are getting a bargain. You can | | | | Other times, it might save you time and hassle to |
| get new or used books on eBay: often eBay stores | | | | simply get the book. For instance, if you are in a first |
| are the best place to search so that you can "Buy it | | | | year English class, and they recommend buying the |
| Now"; sometimes waiting for the end of an auction is | | | | MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, you |
| the way to go. | | | | might as well get the book because you will be using |
| 2. Scan Around School. | | | | it for the next four years. Ask an older student in |
| Used bookstores are often located very close to | | | | your class what books are worth getting. |
| college and university campuses. Often times, | | | | If it's not worth buying a book, you can often read |
| students sell the school books that they don't want | | | | what you need to read in the library. You can also |
| to use again. You don't have to spend hours in each | | | | borrow classmates' books from time to time. |
| bookstore looking for each book: simply walk into the | | | | 5. Photocopy Everything. |
| bookstore with a list and ask the store clerk or | | | | I'm not advising that you break any copyright laws |
| owner if they have what books you are looking for. | | | | here, but sometimes if you can photocopy books, |
| The person in the bookstore will be able to help you | | | | (entire out-of-copyright books, courseware packs, or |
| much more quickly than you would be able to find | | | | relevant chapters) you will be saving yourself a ton |
| the books yourself: they might check a computer, or | | | | of money. And the cheapest places to photocopy |
| they might know exactly where it is, or they might | | | | books are often not on campus. And it's often |
| be able to take you to the spot on the shelves | | | | cheaper to do it yourself rather than take it to a |
| where it would be if they had it. | | | | service. Ask a classmate to borrow the books for |
| 3. Be edition-savvy. | | | | one day: and always return them the next day. |
| Buying used would be great, but you need to have | | | | These five hints to buy cheaper books can more |
| edition 847 of Microbiology; it just came out this year! | | | | than halve your book expenses. Then you can spend |
| Ask your professor if it is okay to use an older | | | | your money on other, more important things (like |
| edition of the text. Many textbooks are reprinted | | | | rent, tuition, or refreshments). Be an active |
| frequently, and even your prof can't keep up with | | | | comparison shopper to save yourself tons of money. |
| the latest updates. Offer to photocopy the extra | | | | |