Part and parcel of preparing for a college degree, be that an undergraduate, postgraduate, or even a Ph.D., is the purchasing of, usually, exceedingly expensive specific textbooks from the recommended and mandatory reading lists supplied by the college itself.
This can come at a considerable cost to students, so, with this in mind, here for your information and in an attempt to save you some money, is a guide on how not to spend a fortune on college reading materials.
Look For a Website That Encourages Textbook Swaps
It may well be the case, as is for the majority of degree programs, that some of the textbooks suggested are more of a recommended read rather than a mandatory research resource throughout the program.
One fantastic way to save some money on reading materials is to look online for websites that are specifically dedicated to swapping and trading one textbook for another one that another student has, either in the same college or you, or else in one nearby.
eBooks!
You will no doubt have already noticed the often surprisingly large price point gap between that of a physical copy of a certain book and the downloadable eBook alternative.
If you do not already have an e-reader, for as little as $30 you can find one which will hold thousands and thousands of books literally, and as long as you can read a book without having to highlight passages, eBooks are a considerably cheaper alternative.
Selling Older Books
Websites such as eBay, Amazon Marketplace, Facebook Marketplace, and even Vinted are fantastic for trading everything from bicycles to textbooks, and it may well be that the book which you are desperate to find is on sale for a much-reduced fee on one or more of these sites.
Conversely, if you are in possession of older textbooks from high school, college, or even from another degree program, this would also be a fantastic way of being able to afford the new ones which you need.
Choose Older Editions
Another brilliant way of avoiding the, frankly, extortionate fees of college research books is to look for an older edition of the same book. True, it may not have an up-to-date introduction and additional information, but the core data is sure to be included.
When looking for the right college for you, it is strongly advisable to utilize campusreel.org to find out not only the admissions protocol and procedures for your chosen college but also as a way to assess what reading material you will need for the course.
Utilize the College Library
Finally, one of the more obvious but surprisingly often overlooked options for being able to get your hands on the exact copies of the college textbooks you need for a particular module is to utilize the extensive college library.
Obviously, the college knows which books are more likely to be in demand and at what times throughout the academic year and are more likely to stock numerous copies of a more popular textbook which makes it much easier to find.
