October 23rd, 2008 by admin

Buying used text books is an economical way to start the school year. Studies show that a huge part of a college student’s budget goes to books, next to tuition and boarding expenses. To buy new text books, a student spends around $1000 every year. Why spend this much when you can cut it down by about 70%-80% by buying used text books? Students can have access to the same educational materials without burning a hole in their college fund. Those who are clueless about text book shopping might find these buying used text book tips useful.

It is always advisable to get a complete list of text books for the school year as early as possible. More options are available when book shopping is done earlier, way before the rest of the student population set out to buy their own books. College professors usually have their lists of required text books and reading materials before the school year starts. It would be wise to contact the professor, either by phone or an office visit, to ask about what text books need to be bought for the school year.

Look for sources of used college textbooks. Most campus bookstores also carry used text books sold to them by students. Check out their used text book racks for great discounts. It could be a tedious task to scour through the racks, though, if the bookstore is not well-organized. A number of buying used text book tips list online bookstores as one of the top sources of used text books. There are a lot of online bookstores that give great discounts. Searching for text book titles is a cinch with their various search options – title search, author search, ISBN search. It is also easier to compare prices when book shopping is done online. Some sites also do price comparisons on used text books and provide a link to online bookstores. Other sources of used text books would be classmates/upperclassmen, university bulletin boards and publishing houses (for brand new but old edition copies of text books).

When dealing with used text books dealers, be sure to check their reputation. This is especially important when doing book shopping online. There are websites that allow previous buyers to post feedback on their sites allowing shoppers to see how they are rated in terms of the quality of goods they sold, their pricing, and their shipping service. Buying used text book tips often recommend that students read about the codes or labels online bookstores use to describe the quality of their used text books. Make sure that the dealer is reliable in terms of delivery to ensure that the text books are available for use when school starts. Shipping usually takes less than a week. Also be sure about additional costs charged for shipping and handling.

Check that the text book specifications match what is required by the professor. ISBN searches yield the most accurate matches in online bookstores. There are times when books have similar titles and using this reference number ensures that the book you are buying is the exact title and edition you are required to have. When it comes to reprints and revised editions, sometimes it is worthwhile to check with the professor if the older version would still be applicable. Great discounts are available when purchasing older editions.

Using second hand books does not mean getting second hand education. Old or new, these books contain the same information that need to be processed by each student’s gray matter. What ultimately matters is what each student does with the education that he gets.