Gah! I hate buying textbooks!

[Chickerdoodle13]

Its just about time to start buying textbooks for the new semester. I just looked up the books I will need and I feel a little nauseous! I'm taking two business courses and they both require a large book, each one about $200! This minor is beginning to cost more than my whole major! Luckily I can use the same chemistry book from freshmen year, but jeeze I cringe everytime I think about the cost of these books.

Almost makes me miss high school where they GAVE us our textbooks!

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I spent $1000 on books yesterday, luckily I had scholarships that covered the cost and the books are all I will need to complete the 2 year program.

So, no more buying books!

 

[theOEGBman]

Tell me about it!

I don't understand why they think we have all of this money to purchase this stuff, why the heck do they think we're going to college?! I hardly EVER use my text books too.

We haven't even been able to afford my books this semester and I need one within a week or two. Luckily for me, my friend told me if I gave her a ride to the other campus after our class she'd give me her Soils book, which is the most expensive one.

Lauren, have you heard of Chegg.com? I heard some people discussing it in class and saw a commercial for it last night. Apparently you rent your textbooks for a decent price and send them back by the date they say!

Good luck!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks for the website suggestion, Jordan! I will definitely check it out. Amazon isn't too bad, but I think I am going to wait to see if I can buy them cheap from friends once the semester starts.

 

[saddina]

Half.com
Ebay.com

Check both for your books, I get ours there for about 1/3rd of new. Often professors will let you use last year's edition (some texts are getting fresh editions every 2 years), so if the bookstore on campus is selling the 5th edition new for $200, ask the professor if the 6th edition is ok, it usually is. (End of chapter questions can change, so go to the campus library and drop a dime to photocopy the current questions, so your assignments are right).

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks Saddina, I will check out half.com as well. Ebay seems to be about the same as amazon more or less, but I know there is also a website called abe.com which I will look at as well.

I think I will send an email to my one professor and ask if the previous edition would be ok to use. The newer edition is close to $130 and the previous edition is more like $30 which is a HUGE difference!

All in all, its not too bad considering how expensive science books can be. I'm actually pretty lucky because I know other people spend much more than $300 a semester on books! Its just such a shame to spend so much on books I will never even use! Last semester my room mate and I dropped $60 on a photography book and we never looked at the darn thing. Only once did I have a professor who actually required that we read our text books and quizzed us on the material. Most of the time its just a major waste.

 

[saddina]

I can not begin to explain how much it irritates me when mr saddi can't use the same book this spring that I used last spring, when it's the same professor and same class, but the publisher put out a new edition.

 

[CityChicker]

It is definitely a racket, isn't it? It's unreal. Last semester, my books were over $1,000. It is ridiculous. It sounds like you are already on to some of the best websites to get used books. My husband and I have probably been the most successful with Amazon. That is where we have been selling a lot of our books too. There is not much else you can do other than look for older or international editions, share books, buy used, etc... You are really up against a wall with textbooks and they know it.

 

[OccamsTazer]

I'm also a member of the textbook poverty club

 

[PineappleMama]

Wow, I guess we're lucky that B's for the semester were only $155.42... at least, that's the ones that are ordered... donno if there's more.

As if tuition isn't enough.. meh.

Though, UTA did start doing this... rental type program. It's only for books that would be used several years, but it's something at least.

I can tell you I'm not looking forward to the repayment schedule for his student loans... thank goodness for grants or it'd be way worse.