Books

Hi all! This week and next is going to be soooo hectic, so I'd appreciate it if you could pray for me. This weekend really got me thinking about books. Books are one of the most expensive things you have to buy at college so I'm going to give you a few tips about books. I know that my books were over $400 just this semester (some used, some new, some borrowed)...so here is some advice on how to save some money.

Buying:
1. Rent instead of buying. If you aren't intending on keeping your books after the semester, just rent them. Many stores allows you to rent instead of buying them.

2. Check out chegg.com for some great deals! I've never used this website, but many of my friends have and they have all given it great reviews!

3. Borrow from an older sibling/friend. One of my friends is giving me all of her old text books that she isn't going to use anymore.

4. Buy used books. I was skeptical at first, but I have 2 books that were used and they actually help a lot. The person before me has underlined and highlighted all the important stuff that I should pay attention to for tests.

5. Buy the online ebook.  I'm not much of a technology person so I don't use this route, but if you don't want to carry books around then this might be for you. Sometimes ebooks are cheaper than the actual text book.

6. Go to class first or read the syllabus before you purchase your books. I didn't buy a book for one of my classes because the teacher told us that all the information will come from his lectures and not the book. Sometimes the book can help reinforce if you're not a good note taker, but most of the time the professor is a great lecturer and you don't need the book.

Selling books:
1. If someone is selling you a book make sure you check the price of the actual book. Some people try to scam you.

2. If you want to sell books at the end of the semester make sure you price things fairly. Think about the other person- be the nice guy.

3. Try exchanging books that way nobody is out of money. For freshman/sophomores, many have the same books and can swap each semester. Just check with your friends and see if they have what you need and vice versa.

I hope this helps a little! Make sure you price check many stores online and around campus before you make your final purchase...it can definitely save you a lot of money.