By: Kai-Tierra Anderson
As students enroll in their second semester of the year, the task of getting the necessary books for that course has begun. But getting the books you need has really never been easier, you can get the textbooks within days of ordering them. It is possible to get more than half off the price of textbooks by using online resources like Chegg, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and so many other websites.
Some studies have shown students spend more than $1,200 on their books per year, and that’s a huge dent in a college student’s pocket, especially if you do not end up using the book all that often – which seems to happen more times than not. Be sure to confirm your class is using the book listed. Some professors change their required texts and may not update the information on the school bookstore website. Some require a specific edition of the book and others may not mind an older edition, which is usually a lot cheaper to purchase. Check with students who took the class recently, as they may still have their book and wouldn’t mind selling it for a few dollars.
Don’t be afraid to borrow or rent your book instead of buying it. There are multiple benefits to renting your books instead of buying them: one being once the class is over, you simply send the book back if you do not need it anymore. Another benefit is that you do not have to go through the stress of trying to order books through the university. You also do not have to worry about the part of your tuition that is supposed to go towards books, since you get that money back and can pocket most of it because you are going to be saving so much money by renting your books online. The toughest part about renting books is remembering to return them. So when ordering your books, look at the return date and put it on your calendar so there is no added stress come the end of the semester. Although it is nice to have your own book, trying to resell your books can be difficult and you may only get a percentage of what you paid for it.
Say that you bought it from the university for $75, their buyback program may only offer you $20 for it. And it is going to be hard to get someone to pay full price for a book that’s used online.
So, if you are interested in renting a book for your next semester’s class, here is how you do that:
Steps to Renting Books on Amazon:
1. Go to the Amazon Rentals Store.
2. Select from the available items.
3. Select the RENT option (by clicking on the radio button) on the product detail page.
4. Select Add to Rental Cart to proceed (you will also be able to choose to extend the due date if needed).
Here is how to return them:
1. Go to Manage your Rental.
2. Select the rental item you wish to return and then select Return rental to print the pre-paid return shipping label.
3. Print out the packaging slip and return shipping label.
4. Package up the textbook you wish to return, including the packaging slip
5. Apply the return shipping label and take the shipment to the carrier listed on your return label. Return shipping is free when you use the shipping label provided.
Starting a new semester can be overwhelming. You can take the stress out of ordering new or used books online and save a little money along the way.
Information obtained from: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201220270 https://www.cappex.com/articles/college-life/textbooks-rent-or-buy
Kai-Tierra is a Freshman at the University of Saint Mary studying Communications and Broadcast Journalism.
USM SPIRE-TIMES 