College Survival - Textbooks

College can be an expensive experience. Not only can tuition and room and board rack up thousands not the costs of textbooks can add up to become a burden.

Make a list of the required textbooks for each class. Note each textbook's volume, edition, author(s), International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and price.

Avoid last minute shopping. Supplies are limited. To make sure that you will have your textbooks for in time, buy them as soon as possible to avoid the risk of competition with classmates who are also buying the same books, especially if you are purchasing from the bookstore on campus. If the books you are looking for are not currently in stock, ask about when they will be. By the time the new shipment of textbooks arrives, you may have already fallen behind on the homework assignments and reading.

Check out local and school libraries early. Some libraries may allow you to check out textbooks for several weeks, if not a whole semester.

Search online. You will often find great discounts by searching online. Remember to add in the shipping and handling costs when determining the total price. Buying several books at once can help save you money on shipping and handling.

Get a membership card. If you usually buy most of your textbooks at, for example, Barnes and Nobles, consider getting a membership card that will save you 10% off each purchase with a $25 annual fee. If you think about it, buying ten textbooks $50 each from Barnes and Nobles at a 10% discount is worth the $25 fee.

Share textbooks. If a roommate is taking the same course as you, see if it would be possible to share textbooks.

Make sure you will actually use the book. Some professors will require students to purchase books that will not actually be used for the class. Look at the syllabus and assignments and ask former students to see if it is worth purchasing the textbooks.

Consider used textbooks. Avoid books that have already been marked up; highlighting and side notes may distract and mislead you. Look at fliers on campus about used textbooks or ask around. If you know a student who is pursing a psychology major as well, ask if she or he is selling (or maybe even giving away for free) the books needed for the required classes in that major; buying a bundle at once saves you time and effort (but keep in mind that professors may use different editions or books every few years; while newer editions tend to have mostly the same content as older ones, there may be differences between some homework questions or crucial reading sections so ask your professor if an earlier edition is acceptable). Before you pay her or him, flip through the book to note how much of the book is marked up, if there are any missing pages and if it is the same edition that you are looking for.

Sell old textbooks. After using your textbooks and predicting that you may not need them again once the class is over, you could sell those books to pay for the textbooks you need for classes next term. Check out prices at bookstores and online to decide on prices that work for both you and your customers.