How does the popular saying go? “An investment in education always pays the highest interest,” said Benjamin Franklin. 

But tell that to all the college students saddled with high student loans. Going to university means freedom and independence for many, if not all. But quickly, they realize, they have all these new responsibilities to face – student loans, health insurance, room and board, personal expenses, and textbooks and supplies! That is quite the list!

Let’s lighten that load, and one way is to start early with the textbooks hunt to save from pricey textbooks. This will give you more buying options at a better price. Cramming and doing this too close to the start of the semester will mean higher textbook prices and possibly shipping fees, and you don’t want that.  Going through the course requirements seems daunting already, so let’s not add to the tension of back to school activities.

Where To Begin

At present, you’re facing that list of textbooks and supplies you need. You’re probably sitting in your dorm room asking yourself right about now, “Where do I begin?”. Here is a list of the fail-safe and dependable list of resources compiled just for you.

Pay the Library a Visit

Get your gear, and let’s go take a walk to the library. Yes, the library! This should really be on top of your list. Most libraries have several copies of each textbook that you need. And if you are quick enough, you can borrow your textbooks, and simply keep on renewing.

Thrift Bookstores

Seeing and feeling the actual textbook is still a different experience. Another perk is you have the added advantage of really inspecting the condition of the book. After all, you might want to consider selling this again at the end of the semester. Smart move! Make a search now for all these second-hand stores within your university. You’ll probably get the latest edition of your textbook while you’re at it.

Rent

You can stretch your budget by renting rather than buying. Amazon is an old favorite for renting and buying, in order to save from pricey textbooks.  You can also check with your university bookstore if they have this option. If not, here are some online sites you may want to check out:

• Chegg Books has the option for ebooks which may be more convenient for you. In case you decide that you want to drop or switch classes, they also offer a 21-day return on physical books.

Online

Ok, so you probably want to do the search in the comfort of your dorm room. Here are some online options for you as well, to save you lots of time.

• Craigslist and Ebay

Most students post their textbooks here, so why not check out the listing in your area. 

• Student-to-student book exchanges

Check the platform used in your university, as this is quite common, and it’s a good way of saving from pricey textbooks, and you get that added advantage of getting the latest edition of the textbooks you need.

Comparison Tool

Online options are countless, overwhelming and tricky. You might ask yourself again, “Where do I begin?”, so here’s a textbook price comparison tool that should save you even more time, and save from pricey textbooks! The heavy lifting has already been done by BooksPrice.   

You have probably used Kayak to book your airline and hotel before, and BooksPrice works the same way too. The search for your required textbook is even made easier by just simply typing in the title or the ISBN.  It generates a listing of all the online sellers of the textbook you need complete with the prices, so that you will be able to find the deal that best suits your needs. 

Now that you’ve got your textbooks, plus you were able to save from pricey textbooks, you can now sit back and relax. Focus on the semester ahead, sign up for all those classes you’ve always wanted, join clubs that interest you, and hit up that new coffeeshop in your university.