Text Book Buying Tips from a Student's Point of View

If you are fortunate enough to be completely unaware of how much money your parents are spending on your education then count yourself fortunate, get to studying and make mom and dad proud. However, if you find yourself opting out of internships because you already have a job, if you park miles away from campus because you can't afford a parking pass or you go the entire semester with out a required book because you just don't have the cash, then you'll want to take notes.

So you have filed your FASFA, completed all the paper work required by your school and your classes are finally paid for. One huge financial hurdle is behind you but unfortunately there are many more ahead in the race to the finish line of getting through school. The biggest hurdle is often the outrageous expense of text books. Research from the California Student Public Interest Research Group found that "students spend an average of $900.00 a year on text books...and the prices keep going up". (http://www.calpirgstudents.org/textbooks) I know, I am preaching to the choir, right?

On the bright side, we know that it can be done. All it takes is a little creativity, self sacrifice and discipline. You've got to be committed to finding another way to get what you need, even when it's a little more difficult. There's more than one way to get a text book. Here are a few options when it comes to getting a hold of the books you need:

1. Is it really required? At the beginning of the semester you are often handed a list of "required" text books for each course. Before heading to the school bookstore there are a few things you should try first. Get with your instructor and simply ask if having the book is really necessary. You would be surprised how often an instructor will admit that you can get away with out having at least one text book listed as a "required material". Hint: If your professor is the author of the required text book then don't ask! Skip directly to tip 2.