Cost of books for 4 classes, $712

[terry107]

International Versions are your friend. My Structures textbook was 200 bucks. I got it for 30. Exact same thing

This is the way to go. Used international editions throughout school and never had a problem.

 

[imagoon]

One of the finance book cost $230. WTF!

I like the way some of these scum publisher don't even give you a hardcover for that price, they give it to you in loose leaf/binder edition so that you can't sell it back.

Those are great, myself and 3 other people (friends) took the same class. One of us opened the loose leaf, plopped it on the copier with a PDF scanner... 3 people returned the 3 other books 3 people gave the other guy 1/4 the book cost You can return them as long as you don't open the plastic.

 

[BladeVenom]

They are such a rip off. I think we've all faced that.

 

[ViviTheMage]

buy used.

also email teacher and verify they REQUIRE the book...I do it every semester. I would say 1 out of 3 professors do not require all 'required' books.

 

[RPD]

Welcome to the scam that are college books.

What new edition, changed 2 example problems in a 300 page book? That will be $250 please.

 

[Anubis]

According to his biography, Steve Jobs wanted to 'destroy' textbooks. See:

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/...ok-world-awaits-apples-education-announcement

Seriously though, has anyone has experience using online texts, such as those from O'Reilly's Safari Books Online?

If you did, did you like it? Would you recommend digital textbooks?

Uno

im all for destroying the stupid txtbook pricing but having to fork over 500$ for a tablet to read them on isnt really the answer

i used to get mine all off half.com, saved a ton

 

[frostedflakes]

Need to learn to shop around instead of just paying the exorbitant prices at the campus bookstore. I bought used textbooks online (Amazon, eBay, etc.) and about as often as not was able to sell them back to the campus bookstore for roughly the same price or sometimes even more than I paid for it. As others mentioned, international editions are a good way to save money, although sometimes they're laid out a bit different than US editions. Some classes may list a text as required but then it doesn't actually end up being used much, you can wait for the first day of class or contact the professor before class begins to ask whether the text is really needed. Also there are sites out there that offer textbook rental, which tends to be a lot cheaper.

 

[soulcougher73]

Biology textbooks are the worst. They cost like $175 each but are never used in class, referenced in lectures, or used for assignments.

Refer to post #5. That is the only way to go about it.

 

[Gothgar]

Ridiculous

 

[blinblue]

Buy used, buy previous editions (check the # of pages between editions on Amazon to get an idea of how much has really changed. Or ask the professor if a previous edition will work fine, many professors know what scam new textbooks are), share with a friend, check if it is at your school library (or at an associated library through inter-library loan). Sell the textbook on Amazon or some similar place when you are done.

Probably spent $300 on books my first semester, realized all the cheaper methods and from then on spent less than $100 for the rest of my college years. Some semesters I actually made money buying used and selling it for more after the semester was over.

In short, there really isn't much excuse to spend that much on textbooks unless you just like spending money.

 

[DrPizza]

As mentioned, international textbooks are often cheaper. Why? Because it's the US where there are a lot of scams in higher education. "Hey student who hasn't learned the value of a dollar yet, here's a loan for $1000 for your textbooks this semester. Uncle Sam is guaranteeing me that you're going to pay me back."

 

[ultimatebob]

college textbooks are a fucking scam. Why do you need a new mathbook every fucking year? same with history etc.

it blows my mind. they charge you $200 for the book pay you $15 (if you are lucky and they are using it again) then sale it as used for $150

If you're still buying and selling books at the college bookstore, you're doing it wrong. Hell... I was buying my textbooks on Amazon for half price 12 years ago, and now you can sell them there as well.

 

[tmc]

also see if the e-books are available online.

for example: http://www.coursesmart.com/

i am an instructor and my textbook is available at that site (at 1/3 of the printed price).

if you can get a few students to share a common login - more power to you.

 

[frostedflakes]

As mentioned, international textbooks are often cheaper. Why? Because it's the US where there are a lot of scams in higher education. "Hey student who hasn't learned the value of a dollar yet, here's a loan for $1000 for your textbooks this semester. Uncle Sam is guaranteeing me that you're going to pay me back."

I think that's the big thing, if people were actually paying for these books with their own money, I think they'd tend to be more frugal. But when it's mom and dad paying, GI Bill, scholarships, Pell Grants, federal student loan money, or whatever, people are less concerned about going out of their way to find a better price.

 

[PingviN]

This is outrageous. :'(

You lucky bastard. Sounds like a sweet deal.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

eh, $4k in books in the past two weeks, it could be worse. Also, be thankful you do not have to ship stuff from Australia or Chile...the shipping is usually as much as the books (which are frigging expensive to begin with).

 

[mugs]

Share the cost of 1 book with a few friends, make copies, done. My friends in the computer science major did that. No way, they were going to drop a hundred on 1 book, that's madness.

I always kept my cost under $150 (per semester) by doing this and buying used. It always worked out for us, but maybe not so much for a major that requires more use of the textbooks.

 

[Bignate603]

One of my math books is used for 2 courses, it cost $200 but is a paperback. The content is pretty decent but the book's quality is TERRIBLE. I'm on my third copy because the first two fell apart.

 

[MarkXIX]

also see if the e-books are available online.

for example: http://www.coursesmart.com/

i am an instructor and my textbook is available at that site (at 1/3 of the printed price).

if you can get a few students to share a common login - more power to you.

This. I found quite a few of my textbooks through CourseSmart. Sure, you're still spending money, but the prices are lower than most used copies I was able to find and I'm too lazy to return them and get pissed off when they give me $5 for a $100 book I bought 4 months ago and barely used.

Plus, they have Windows, iPad, and Android apps.

 

[glenn1]

Welcome to the scam that are college books.

What new edition, changed 2 example problems in a 300 page book? That will be $250 please.

More like welcome to the scam that is college period. You can use things like CLEP exams to test out of a good portion of college classes so textbooks are a non-issue. Heck, I tested out of over a third (maybe half) of my required credits of U of Maryland with the military picking up most of the costs for the classroom credits I took. If you apply yourself, you can finish your bachelor's degree in a 4-year enlistment with very little money out of pocket and *no* student loans whatsoever.

 

[Leros]

International Versions are your friend. My Structures textbook was 200 bucks. I got it for 30. Exact same thing

Rot in jail criminal scum. Because of you, the book's publishers will starve to death.

 

[eLiu]

Ironically I think I spent more & bought more books as a freshman than as a senior in college. At first it's like OMFG GOTTA BUY IT ALL NOW WHAT IF IM NOT PREPARED AHHH.

And then it becomes, ugh jesus I could buy a lot of _____ with that money, do I *HAVE* to have this book? eh prob not, someone I know has it, sweet. So I only bought books for classes that I was genuinely interested in and/or felt that the book would be a good reference in the future.

One year I realized Amazon was selling a psychology book for less than the buyback price at the book store. Guess what I did! lol

 

[tfinch2]

Rot in jail criminal scum. Because of you, the book's publishers will starve to death.

 

[alkemyst]

Share the cost of 1 book with a few friends, make copies, done. My friends in the computer science major did that. No way, they were going to drop a hundred on 1 book, that's madness.

illegal.

 

[alkemyst]

I always kept my cost under $150 (per semester) by doing this and buying used. It always worked out for us, but maybe not so much for a major that requires more use of the textbooks.

so copyrights mean nothing to you?

Did your college have an ethics class by any chance?