College
prices go up every year including the cost of tuition, books, and even that
coffee you get every morning on your way to class from the bookstore. Most
students are always looking for a way to save every penny they can, so finding
a source of cheap college books is vital every semester. In truth, the task
isn’t really that difficult, there are multiple sources of cheap college
textbooks, you just have to plan ahead for the best deals.
Don’t wait until
the last minute
First, it’s
a good idea not to wait until right before class starts in order to find the
best deals for cheap college textbooks. If possible, see if you can get a list
of the required textbooks a couple of weeks before class begins. If not, you
may not get a great deal and you could even miss out on finding cheap college
textbooks at all, so get that list as far in advance as possible.
Start looking on the Internet
The Internet
is a great source of cheap college textbooks. You can find them at online used
bookstores, college online bookstores, auction sites like eBay, craigslist or
half.com, or even on the college Facebook page if other students are
advertising books for sale. Be sure to check on shipping costs to be certain
you are getting the best possible deal for the cheap college textbooks you are
buying, and be sure you are buying the right edition by putting in your ISBN
number.
Try the Library
Believe it or not, you may even find copies of the college books you need
at the college or public library. Sometimes people donate them to the library,
so even though it doesn’t happen often, it is a place to put on your list of
places to seek cheap college textbooks.
Look in the newspaper or college bulletin boards
Other
possible place to find listings for cheap college textbooks is the school
bulletin boards or ads in the school or local newspapers. Sometimes students
who are trying to sell last semester’s books will list them in this way or
sometimes they may even be willing to swap if you have a book that they need.