Big Bad Books

As one of the biggest contributors to the costs of being, I figured I should give some tips on books.

I'm sure you've come across the one class where the required book is hella-expensive.  It just seems unfair that, along with rent, tuition and other costs, you get nailed with a 20 lb, $150 book that you may or may not end up using more than once.  I may not be able to help you understand Chapter 5's theoretical formulas for understanding astronuclear physics, but I can lessen the blow of that big book bill.


First of all, it doesn't hurt to find out if the book is ACTUALLY required for the class.  I had one course where the required book was about $17 and the recommended book was $80.  I emailed the professors, thinking this must have been a mistake or a typo.  Usually the more expensive one is the required one, right?


Wrong.  In this case, it was supplemental material for understanding what was in the tiny paperback we had to read.  I didn't end up buying that big expensive, recommended book because I was capable of learning the terms and other information online or through other free sources.  But even if I did need to use it, there are other options available then directly buying it.

The obvious option is to buy second hand books.  They are cheaper and are sometimes in just as nice condition as the original.  I've had a few situations where the previous owner was even kind enough to highlight terms and definitions FOR me.  Understandably, some used books may be in a condition similar to that of a used rat nest.  These kinds of second hand books are rare though, in my opinion.  Second hand books can be found in campus book stores, online, or on bulletin boards.  But options go beyond second hand!


Are you able to borrow the book from a public library or a friend?  Can you share a copy with a friend?  Is it available in the school library or online?


In any of these suitable possibilities, you are able to make photocopies.  I've heard photocopies of full books can still be a bit pricey, anywhere from $10-$40, depending on the size of the book.  This takes a lot of loose change for the photo copier and a lot of time to do.  I'm not aware of the photocopying laws for books, so I'm just going to play dumb here and tell you to figure it out on your own - I take no responsibility if you take it too far and sell a inch-thick photocopy version of a book. 


But do you need all those photocopies to begin with?  It's important to learn how much of the book are you going to use.  Will you simply be reading it once?  Or do you need to know that book through and through for the sake of the course?  Will you be using it more than once?  I have a book that will be used for several courses, so I snagged a copy of my own rather then borrowing it.  However, borrowing isn't even an option if no one has a copy to borrow.  So what do you do? 


Hop online!  There are several websites devoted to second hand books.  Some even offer rental services in which you return the book after the end of the semester.  One of my favorite is Big Words.  This website even compares prices from other websites, offering you the cheapest option.  However, sometimes these cheaper offers are from the US, so keep that in mind before you go "Ooh! That one's cheap!"


So there you have it.  Ways to take the bite out of books instead of the other way around!