Ok let's be honest: Preparing for an upcoming semester is so much fun! Buying highlighters and the newest style of mechanical pencil, designing your schedule on Excel and color-coding it, and picking out the perfect outfit for your first day... You know the drill. But with all good things come the bad such as buying books. Yikes! I've always been very meticulous about books because I don't want to waste my money in the end. I don't think I've ever spent more than $250 a semester on books and I don't really plan on going over that limit in nursing school. :) (I will set $400 as my absolute maximum) Here are a few tips when it comes to shopping around to give you more bang for your buck. You can use all the leftover cash for
bottles of wine lots and lots of notecards!!
1)
Do you REALLY need the book? Ask friends who have taken the class before you how often the book was used. Of course professors are going to say YES buy the book. I once took a course where the prof scanned all the pages and put them on Blackboard to make things easier (i.e., can't use the excuse "I lost my book").
Another sometimes-helpful resource is to consult
www.ratemyprofessor.com. This can be a hit or miss. To be honest, I never really go out of my way to compliment good service because I expect good service wherever I go *duh*. (Note to self: always complimenting good service can be New Years' Resolution!) I've avoided taking courses with horrible professors because of the site and have had bad experiences with "good" professors. Who knows! Anyway, reading reviews of past students can give some insight to whether or not the professor requires the books they say they require. Here is a couple of examples.
*probably would not purchase a textbook*
*probably would purchase a textbook*
2) Ok, so we've decided that buying the required texts for our class is a good choice. Next step: find out all the information you need about the book! I will use the example for my Anatomy and Physiology course throughout the rest of my spiel. After logging into my account and selecting my courses (make sure you have the right section number, professor, times, etc! Don't buy the wrong book!), I see a screen that looks like this (of course your's might look different but it has the same information):
Here are some key points you need to know:
- ISBN number (either 10- or 13-digits, dashes don't matter, each book has their own specific code) Mine: 9780470565100
- Edition of the required book (sometimes professors don't mind you buying the most previous edition but this has only been the case for me TWICE in 8 semesters. Better be safe than sorry!) Mine: 13th
The website my school uses gives three options of how to "get" the book: new, used, and electronic. There are pros and cons to each.
New
|
Used
|
Electronic
|
Pros: Your very own copy, don’t have to worry about
scribbles or previous damage, CDs or codes are guaranteed
Cons: Costs the most, any damage is your fault and might
need to pay for it, usually costs a lot, might not get as much as you paid
for it at buyback, costs an arm and a leg.
|
Pros: Significantly cheaper, important parts already
highlighted, don’t have to worry as much about keeping it clean
Cons: You might get a copy that is very scribbly or not
highlighted at all, might smell funny, might have moldy pressed petals stuck
to the back of the book…, all CDs or codes are not guaranteed
|
Pros: Can take on your tablet or e-reader, usually the
cheapest version, don’t have to fuss with shipping or returning
Cons: Can get easily distracted with apps or games, have
to worry about carrying a charger at all times, if your electronic gets lost
or stolen, well, you’re screwed.
|
It's up to you to decide from here! I do not buy brand new textbooks unless I know I will be keeping this book at the end of the semester, I need a new copy that includes a special code or CD for online activities, or if no used copies are available. For A&P1, the book that is required is the same book that is required for A&P2! Therefore, I decided I am going to get a new copy. Through my school, the new textbook costs $271.25. Two-hundred and seventy-one dollars and twenty-five cents. For ONE book. If my limit is $400, I've basically already maxed out my budget. No thanks! Time to shop around! :)
3) It's time to compare prices. If you have a full-ride scholarship that covers textbooks and supplies, bless your heart. Add all the stuff that your little heart desires to your shopping cart. If you are using your financial aid, chances are your school will require you to buy your books through them. If you are like me and have to pay for your own stuff, the cheapest is going to be your choice I'm sure.
Take that ISBN number and copy and paste it right into Bing. My two favorite websites are www.chegg.com and www.amazon.com. Chegg plants a tree for every book you rent from the website. Amazon offers free shipping on certain things. I plug my ISBN number into each of these websites and here is what I get:
*Amazon*
*Chegg*
As you can see, there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in price! Buying new on Amazon saves me 52% and buying new on Chegg saves me 61%. I'll go with Chegg on this one. $104.49 plus a little tax and flat-rate shipping. One of the benefits of Chegg is that when you are ready to return the book, you put it in a box with a label they provide and drop it off at the UPS store. It's free!
I'll show this process once more using my Sociology textbook.
ISBN: 9780205898916
Edition: 12th
*Will buy a used copy, this text can be returned at the end of the semester*
*Chegg*
*Amazon*
Once again, I will probably go with Chegg on this one. 73% savings.. Holy cow!
All in all, according to my school's bookstore, I would spend $710.50. If I use Chegg and Amazon, my total would come out to be $306.52. That's a 57% savings and definitely under my budget. Plus, buying my A&P book this semester means I won't have to pay the $104.49 next semester for A&P2.
Hopefully, my tips help you decide whether or not splurging on textbooks is worth it. If you are anything like me, you recognize the value of a dollar and wish to conserve as much as possible. Let me know how much YOU saved by using other rental programs! :)
-Leigh
