The wide world of books

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By Kyle Walker

School starts on the 25 of this month, and with it comes a journey that is notorious to college life. I am, of course, talking about the life changing expedition of textbook buying and selling.

I stand before you today, as a senior, offering you advice that I wish was bestowed onto me during my freshman year.

When it comes to buying books, there is one piece of information that is vital. Not all of your classes actually use the books that they claim to require. I still have an unopened book from freshman year that I couldn’t sell if I attached the entire Backstreet Boys discography for free.

I suggest going to class for a week or two and figuring out which classes will actually need the books “required.” Generally you will not need a book for a specific class if the professor offers you a note packet. With this strategy you will probably miss out on the chance to buy used books, which are generally significantly cheaper.

You can always try buying your books early and then returning them if you discover you don’t need them. Though, this runs you the risk of getting stuck with a book you don’t need.

When it comes to purchasing, you have a couple of options. First, I would look at purchasing your books off campus. Places such as the Co-op Bookstore or the Chimes Textbook Exchange tend to have more competitive pricing than the Student Union Bookstore. This is generally a safer method, as you are almost guaranteed the book you need with little hassle.

Your second option is to use the Internet to find books that you need. Online stores are a good choice, but I prefer online marketplaces like eBay and the marketplace offered on Facebook. While these options are generally cheaper, you might have to wait a few days or weeks to receive your book.

Once the semester winds down and you are done with finals you again have a few options regarding your books. Obviously, you can simply keep your books. If you planning on entering a higher level of education, there are probably a few books you will want to keep in order to review for the exiting exam you intend on taking.

However, if you plan to devoid yourself any memories of the class you nicknamed “Hell” and make some money on the side, then selling is the opportunity for you. Most bookstores offer a buyback period that runs close to finals week. Again, this is the safer option as you are almost guaranteed to sell your book if you act quickly enough.

Most bookstores offer up to 50 percent of the purchase prices but have a limit on how many books they will buyback. On the other hand, if you don’t mind waiting until the end of break to sell your books, I would suggest the online selling option.

Since you are cutting out the middleman you can generally make a little more money and still manage to save the buyer a nice wad of cash as well.

As I am sure you are discovering very quickly, college is not cheap. Tuition is pricey and fees will rape you. Manage your money well and you will have cash to do plenty other things that make college so great.

I leave you with this parting advice. The difference in content between the fifth edition and the sixth edition is minuscule, but the difference in price is extraordinary.

Originally Published: Issue 701 - August 19, 2008

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