Avoid spending too much money on textbooks
Jaci Wheaton | Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Features
Aren't sure how to get the best deals on textbooks and make sure you have them in time? Take some time at the end of the preceding quarter to check the bookstore for the titles, authors, and prices of the books you will need for your upcoming classes. After you know what you will need, you can shop around to find the best and safest deals on those books.
Some off campus bookstores will carry the titles that you may be looking for. But even if you can find the book that you need, it won't necessarily cost less than it would at the college bookstore.
One of the places many students have found what they needed is half price books and other bargain bookstores. These stores carry mostly used books and their prices are frequently cheaper than the used selections provided by the bookstore at the college, but there is a large chance that the book you are looking for won't be there.
Another popular place to find textbooks is online, but Internet shopping sites have their ups and downs. "You almost have to buy text books online nowadays." Says Jason, a student who had trouble getting the book he needed due to bookstore shortages. Yes you can find a lot of the books that you would need for college and you don't have get up and go to the bookstore over your break to find them, but there are risks and downfalls to this convenient and oftentimes cheaper way to get ready for class to start.
According to a report by Charles Schmidt of National Assn. of College Stores, buying textbooks online is not always cheaper and can prove to be unsafe and unreliable.
When looking at a title online, make sure you notice how much cheaper it is than if you purchased the book on campus. If the book is not much cheaper, add the shipping and handling charges that usually accompany online purchases and decide whether or not it is worth the risk.
Some online book sellers are not reliable in the least. The unidentifiable source could have mixed up the titles and according to Nichole Larson, a running start student from Snohomish, when buying online you can end up with a different book than the one you thought you ordered. Another risk is that the seller could be issuing hidden fees and fraud. Schmidt's report concluded that the FBI found 568 fake online seller accounts and over 100,000 orders placed by students that didn't get what they were bargaining for. The result was $5.3 million in fraud.
There are a lot of good bargains out there on the Internet or at your neighborhood bookstore, but you should always weigh your options and plan ahead so that you don't end up being forced to settle for the bad deal at crunch time. Remember that no matter how much looking around you do beforehand, the campus bookstore is reliable, moderately priced, and will always provide all the textbooks that you will need without the risk.
Some off campus bookstores will carry the titles that you may be looking for. But even if you can find the book that you need, it won't necessarily cost less than it would at the college bookstore.
One of the places many students have found what they needed is half price books and other bargain bookstores. These stores carry mostly used books and their prices are frequently cheaper than the used selections provided by the bookstore at the college, but there is a large chance that the book you are looking for won't be there.
Another popular place to find textbooks is online, but Internet shopping sites have their ups and downs. "You almost have to buy text books online nowadays." Says Jason, a student who had trouble getting the book he needed due to bookstore shortages. Yes you can find a lot of the books that you would need for college and you don't have get up and go to the bookstore over your break to find them, but there are risks and downfalls to this convenient and oftentimes cheaper way to get ready for class to start.
According to a report by Charles Schmidt of National Assn. of College Stores, buying textbooks online is not always cheaper and can prove to be unsafe and unreliable.
When looking at a title online, make sure you notice how much cheaper it is than if you purchased the book on campus. If the book is not much cheaper, add the shipping and handling charges that usually accompany online purchases and decide whether or not it is worth the risk.
Some online book sellers are not reliable in the least. The unidentifiable source could have mixed up the titles and according to Nichole Larson, a running start student from Snohomish, when buying online you can end up with a different book than the one you thought you ordered. Another risk is that the seller could be issuing hidden fees and fraud. Schmidt's report concluded that the FBI found 568 fake online seller accounts and over 100,000 orders placed by students that didn't get what they were bargaining for. The result was $5.3 million in fraud.
There are a lot of good bargains out there on the Internet or at your neighborhood bookstore, but you should always weigh your options and plan ahead so that you don't end up being forced to settle for the bad deal at crunch time. Remember that no matter how much looking around you do beforehand, the campus bookstore is reliable, moderately priced, and will always provide all the textbooks that you will need without the risk.
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