<\/p>\n
In fact, most bookshops will have some sort of special deal for students. A lot of people may not know this since these deals don\u2019t get advertised that much. But all you need to do is ask. They\u2019ll probably ask for your student ID and apply the discount at the checkout.<\/p>\n
Free Textbooks<\/a> is an awesome app that I think every student should have on their device.<\/p>\n Order your textbooks through the app and you get a percentage of the book for free. You can also rent books. They claim they\u2019ll deliver textbooks within 1 hour in big university and college towns.<\/p>\n They also deliver other stuff like pizza, t-shirts, food and more.<\/p>\n This is another great free tool that every college and high school (Yes, they even find you discounted high school books) student should use.<\/p>\n It really is as easy as that. And yes, it is 100% free to use the tool.<\/p>\n The first question to ask yourself is whether you\u2019ll need the books beyond your college years.<\/p>\n While you may want to keep your Nursing textbooks for future reference, chances are, you\u2019ll never need your Intro to Philosophy book again.<\/p>\n If there are books you know you want to add to your permanent collection, there are still ways to save on your purchases. If you\u2019re taking introductory or general education classes, consider some alternatives \u2013 like renting<\/a> or borrowing.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to buy, a good way to save is to shop around. With so many great comparison shopping apps<\/a> and websites out there, it\u2019s crazy not to compare prices before you buy.<\/p>\n You never know if you\u2019re getting a good deal or if you\u2019re getting ripped off if you don\u2019t even know what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n Your campus bookstore may be convenient, but it\u2019s often not the best option for buying cheap college textbooks<\/a>. They tend to mark books up \u2013 especially when they\u2019re required for a class.<\/p>\n What you might not know is that unless a book on your required list is a custom-printed manual, you can likely find what you need at multiple stores \u2013 often with competitive price tags.<\/p>\n If you can find a book used instead of new, it can save you a ton of money.<\/p>\n Bookstores often carry used versions of textbooks, but you can also find used textbooks online<\/a> \u2013 often much cheaper than new.<\/p>\n Beware, if your course requires an access code along with the textbook, a used version may not have what you need. Before going this route, check with your instructor to see if the code is important.<\/p>\n Online sources are often the quickest way to shop around for new or used textbooks.<\/p>\n The most important thing when shopping online is to make sure the ISBN numbers on your required textbook list match the books you\u2019re buying, whether online or at a retailer. That\u2019s the only way to make sure you\u2019re buying the right edition.<\/p>\n Be sure that shipping costs don\u2019t negate the savings, though. Search the web for coupon codes and offers for free shipping<\/a> to maximize your deal.<\/p>\n Check out these sites for great textbook deals:<\/p>\n Many older books whose copyrights have expired become relegated to the public domain. You can often access these books for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n Why buy something when you can get it for free?<\/p>\n Here are some handy websites where you can find free public domain material:<\/p>\n Especially when you know you won\u2019t want to keep your books beyond next semester, renting is often a cheaper option than buying.<\/p>\n If you want to rent your textbooks, ignore my first suggestion \u2013 do check out your campus bookstore. Many have options for textbook rental. If you decide you want to buy later, many offer that option as well.<\/p>\n Make sure you understand the terms of the rental agreement before entering into any contract and make sure rental is the best deal for you before moving forward.<\/p>\n Sometimes, buying a book and selling it<\/a> later (or even selling it back to the bookstore) is an even better option than renting.<\/p>\n See what sort of buyback options your campus bookstore has available.<\/p>\n You can also check student message boards and billboards to find students who are in need of a textbook and might buy it from you when you\u2019re ready to offload.<\/p>\n There are also a lot of great textbook buyback sites where you can sell your used textbooks for cash<\/a>.<\/p>\n A few to consider are:<\/p>\n Often, ebooks can be purchased or rented and can be a cheaper option than physical books. Not always, but it\u2019s worth checking into.<\/p>\n Another bonus \u2013 they take up much less space than physical books, and highlighting is easy and doesn\u2019t destroy the text.<\/p>\n Not every book can be found in ebook form, but most novels, biographies, poetry, etc., can. Some might even be free to download<\/a> if they\u2019re in the public domain.<\/p>\n One downside is that navigating page numbers can be difficult since they can vary with changing font sizes.<\/p>\n For this option, you might want to check with your instructor.<\/p>\n Sometimes, an instructor will be particular about a certain edition, and other times, there are so few changes between editions that it won\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n New editions are sometimes just nicer or have new page numbers. Occasionally, they include major changes or new chapters though. Make sure that isn\u2019t the case before you invest in an older edition of a required textbook.<\/p>\n So you\u2019ve made it to day one without purchasing or renting your books?<\/p>\n It can be a risky move, starting school without your books, but sometimes it\u2019s the only move you\u2019ve got. If you can make it through the first day, you can sometimes get a more realistic idea of which books you\u2019ll need and which are \u201csuggested\u201d reading.<\/p>\n Some instructors list books when they intend to use only a few pages or chapters. Having this information will help you better decide how to proceed. The best way to find out is to ask.<\/p>\n Consider only buying the books you need, and get by without the ones you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n If your instructor has said the course won\u2019t lean heavily on the assigned textbooks, sharing with a classmate might be an option.<\/p>\n Just make sure you\u2019ll both have access to the book when you need it.<\/p>\n Knowing what your professor prefers is key before you commit to this option.<\/p>\n A slightly better option than sharing is borrowing a copy of your textbook from the library \u2013 if they have a copy. Sometimes, you can get a copy of the textbook through an interlibrary loan. It can\u2019t hurt to check.<\/p>\n Check out this option early though \u2013 classmates or other students taking other sections of the class might have the same idea.<\/p>\n There are also apps that make it easy to borrow books from local libraries. One of the best ones is Over Drive<\/a>. Read my review of Over Drive<\/a> for details and how to get the most out of it.<\/p>\n By the way, if you like getting free audio books<\/a>, the company behind OverDrive has another app called Libby<\/a> that lets you borrow audiobooks from your local library.<\/p>\n As you can see there are a lot of ways to save money on collect textbooks. Hopefully, you can use these tips to save money when buying college textbooks next time.<\/p>\n Good luck with your semester!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n6. Consider used textbooks<\/h3>\n
7. Buy online<\/h3>\n
Cheap textbooks<\/h4>\n
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8. Use Public Domain<\/h3>\n
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9. Rent books<\/h3>\n
10. Buy your books (but sell them later)<\/h3>\n
11. Opt for eBooks<\/h3>\n
12. Buy older editions<\/h3>\n
13. Check your syllabus<\/h3>\n
14. Share with a classmate<\/h3>\n
15. Borrow from the library<\/h3>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n