Tips on Discount Textbooks Today

The good news: there are ways to make the discount or cheap textbooks buying process less painful, less expensive and less time-consuming even though you don't have much choice about buying textbooks, and they are expensive. There are alternatives to standing in line in the campus bookstore, and there are sources for textbooks that can beat bookstore prices hands down. Here are three simple steps to help you fight back when it comes to long lines and high textbook prices:

1. Planning discount textbooks. This isn't as bad as it may sound. It mostly involves finding out what books will be required for your classes as soon as you can, and the sooner the better. After all, if you know what to be looking for before everybody else does, it's that much easier to get yours before the demand increases.

Professors usually have to choose the textbooks they'll use well before the class starts. Try emailing them and asking. Be sure to get the title and the ISBN. If the professors don't respond, try calling the department secretary, who often has the responsibility to collect textbook orders from the instructors in her department, and will have the information you need. You may also get the information at the campus bookstore.

2. Textbooks - Buying smart. Because you found out early what textbooks you need, you can buy early. Do a little looking around and you might even get lucky and find friends or acquaintances who have some of the books you need for classes they'll be finishing. The next best plan is to order your books online. It will take a while for the books to be shipped, sometimes as long as a couple of weeks, so order early.

There are lots of ways to search online to find cheap college textbooks. The trick is to find a site with the search function that's the easiest to use and the most powerful. That helps you find not only the right book, but find it at the very cheapest price. Also, make sure your personal information is [safe and secure] when you order online. While you're at it, look for a site that has some other useful information on it, like a forum or a discussion board about things college students are interested in.

3. Now for the best part: Selling Textbooks! Remember that at the end of the term, you have textbooks other people want. The bookstore will take them, but you might do better selling directly to the end user. No doubt you've taken great care of your books, so you can get top dollar.

In case that's something you haven't been too careful about in the past, now is the time to turn over a new leaf, or page, as the case may be. Give up your highlighting habit. If you have to mark in the book, do it in light pencil so it can be easily erased. Be careful of the covers and binding. Consider selling to used bookstores off campus. What they pay will vary, but it's worth a try.