Off campus shopping saves $$
Textbook tango, how to dance around high costs
By Rachel Naegeli, October 2009
Staff Writer
D“Cha-ching!” It’s the sound of registers raking in the money students are spending on textbooks.
The costs of books continue to rise each semester, and it makes students second-guess purchasing college textbooks. Consequently, this is why it is vital for students to know that there are numerous alternatives to buying college textbooks at places other than the costly campus stores.
For starters, Chegg.com, a new textbook rental site, allows students to search for particular books they need, place an order to rent them and then return them when finished: sort of a textbook blockbuster. This site allows buyers to save up to 80 percent on new and used textbooks. The site claims to have saved buyers $44 million and counting with links to positive feedback from customers. And, in keeping with the Save the Economy crusade, Chegg promises to plant a tree for every book rented.
Chegg is just one of the substitutes to buying pricy books. Another is the idea of sharing books.
Jacob Dougan, a current Arizona State University student, says he got a few classmates together and split the total of their textbook’s cost. “This way my buddies and I can keep each of our costs for textbooks much lower,” says Dougan.
This is a great alternative because students who share classes often study together and really only need one source of material.
Students should check out the used or college textbook stores. These stores are located around the Valley, but Paradise Valley Community College students usually head across the street to the College Textbook+ store to chat with owner David Park. Park’s store has been open for nearly three years and is fully stocked with new and used textbooks. The texts can be founs for 75 percent of the market value.
Park says, “We are able to sell both new and used textbooks cheaper due to lower rent expenses, cheaper utilities and fewer employees (than other bookstores).”
Instead, students can ask their teachers if a copy of the text is available in PVCC’s campus library at where students can check out a book on reserve, use it in the library and then return it when finished.
Used textbooks may also be purchased online through sites like amazon.com half.com. |
