College students share tips to save money on textbooks

“Looking for CS1371 book.”

“$30 and it’s yours.”

“Selling Chem1310 book (6th edition Zumdahl).”

So read the comments on the Georgia Tech Book Swap Facebook page, one method students are using to avoid paying retail price for textbooks.

Teresa Hu is a junior at Tech, majoring in computer science. In her freshman year, she did “what all the other freshmen did” by purchasing books from the campus bookstore. “I didn’t know any better because I hadn’t talked to any other upperclassmen yet, and during orientation we were only told about Barnes Noble.

“After my first semester,” Hu recalls, “I learned through girls in my sorority that Engineer’s Bookstore on Marietta [St.] is a lot less expensive and just as convenient to get to.”

When it came time to sell back expensive books, Agnes Scott sophomore Louisa Morton felt burned.

“When I first came to school I was doing neuroscience, and my bio book was $200,” says Morton, now majoring in economics and organizational management and public health. “I had to sell it back and it was only $80. I have been careful since then.”

Both women shared their tips on how to save this fall on textbooks, whether buying or selling (so you can instead use your quarters for doing laundry).

Buy used from a bookstore, online or other students: Hu now usually orders books from Half.com or AbeBooks.com. “After I’m done with the course, I’ll resell books for about the same amount I originally paid for them, so it’s almost like borrowing a book for a semester for free.”

Additionally, the websites’ grace period for a full refund on purchases is longer than at some college bookstores, though Hu says a downside is the initial wait: She orders books two to three weeks before classes start.

Use an older version of the book: “For my science classes last year, I would ask my professor if it was OK to get a different edition,” Morton says, “because sometimes you can get a different edition for a lot cheaper.” Buying older versions can save you as much as $100.

Rent from your college or a rental service: “If I’m planning on keeping it, I’ll buy it used,” says Morton. “But otherwise I rent and return it at the end of the semester.

“I was just talking to the woman in the bookstore yesterday, and she said the worst books to invest in are in the language books, because they come out with a new edition every year,” which means you won’t get back much money — if any — when you try to return it, she says. “It’s better just to rent those.”

Chegg.com is a popular rental site (plus, the company plants a tree every time you rent). Also try CampusBookRentals.com or BookRenter.com.

Borrow from the library or other students: “Don’t be afraid to ask,” says Hu. “You can ask friends, classmates and people you’re in clubs, band or Greek life with. I’ve been able to borrow books for a semester from friends of friends many times.”

Do you have other tips for saving money on college textbooks? Share with us in the comments section.

– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter

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Facebook-like education website

Fed up of your child logging into Facebook at the cost of studies? The Rajasthan government has hit upon a remedy – a social networking site that will also help brush up a youngster’s academic knowledge.

“The idea is to utilise the popularity of social networking sites among students. Most

of them spend a lot of time on such websites every day,” a senior official of the state’s information technology department, which is developing the portal, told IANS.

The government portal will give tips to students on subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics. Experts will be roped in to answer the academic queries students post on it.

“We thought why not make it a bit educational so that students can not only enjoy the fun that these sites offer but also get to learn something,” the official said.

Students will be able to open up their individual accounts, add friends, upload photographs, play games and interact among themselves just like they do on Facebook.

“What makes it stand out is the fact that there will be subject-specific links on the home page. We will store e-books, objective questions and coaching material related to each subject,” the officer added.

The development of the portal is in the final phase, he said.

The government should popularise the website by approaching educational institutes across the state, including schools, colleges and coaching centres, said Abhishek Sharma, a volunteer working with a local NGO.

“The students should be encouraged by the institutes to use this portal,” Sharma told IANS.

“It will be fun to have such a social networking website. I usually get distracted by these sites, but fun and studies going together must be great. I am eagerly waiting for the site to be launched,” said Manu Mishra, a Class 11 student.

Parents have also welcomed the initiative.

“My son spends half of his time on social networking websites which could be utilised for sports or studies. I will definitely encourage him to use the portal being launched by the government as it will at least have some study or course and subject material,” said Ramkumar Joshi, parent of a Class 12 student.

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