5 Ways to Save Money on College Textbooks

education study books and appleWhen you’re in college, you’ve definitely got a lot on your plate. The years that you spend working on your degree usually represent a pretty huge transition in your life. High school is pretty easy, and you don’t typically have a lot to worry about before you’ve graduated and headed off to college. When you’re working on your higher education, though, things are a lot different. You have a level of autonomy when you’re in college that most individuals don’t experience before they graduate high school. It’s a time when you have a lot of things to figure out, and you’re going to have to do most of it on your own. What’s more is that when you’re in college, money is usually something of a struggle. There usually isn’t enough time to work a lot while you’re in school, and for this reason it can get to the point where you will try and save money just about any way you can. Textbooks are very expensive, these days. If you’re looking for ways to save money on the books you need for school, there are definitely a lot of solutions that can help you go about doing just that.

1. Don’t Write in Them. If you can avoid making notes in your textbooks, you’ll be able to get a lot more money back when you resell them. Bookstores don’t like giving you a lot of money for your second hand books. If you’re thinking about selling your books back then you want to make sure that you keep them in very good shape so you can get your money’s worth.

2. Buy Online. Look for books online when you’re shopping for school. There are a ton of sites like Chegg that specialize in connecting students with the textbooks that they need, and you can also use a site like Ebay to find great deals and discounts on the texts that you’re going to need for your studies.

3. Look for Electronic Books. Not only are electronic textbooks a great way to avoid having to carry a lot of stuff around and reduce your environmental impact at the same time, but they’re also a lot less expensive than their physical counterparts. See if you can find electronic books, which are a big help whether you’re working towards an online DNP or are attending a four-year university.

4. Buy from Alternative Bookstores. Most college towns have alternative bookstores that you can visit. Avoid using your university’s bookstores, as they often charge a lot more money for the texts that you’re going to need over the course of the year.

5. Buy Books from Your Friends. If you know friends that are working on the same major as you are, you can save money by buying textbooks from them at a fraction of the cost. Look for people that you know who are taking similar classes. When you can do this, you’ll be able to save some serious money on the textbooks that you need for school.