TEXTBOOKS…a necessary evil
By now you have probably experienced your first week or two of classes. The first few days are spent trying to figure out where your classes are, the timing of your classes, and trying to get a feel for your different professors. Soon you will have a stack of syllabus papers that will become your bibles for the rest of the semester. These first few weeks are filled with learning experiences that will come in handy for the rest of your college experience.
Purchasing textbooks is a task that you will become more comfortable with as each new semester begins. The sticker shock of book prices can be pretty severe, and unfortunately it doesn’t look like the prices will be dropping anytime soon. I will say, however, that you will develop certain routines or preferences when buying textbooks that will make the process a bit easier from year to year. Some people turn to online textbook stores such as half.com or Chegg.com and others just pray that there will be used books to purchase at the bookstore. Used books are a great option and you will find that some may be unopened and basically untouched while others may look like they went on a ride in the washing machine. Often times the books will have notes and highlights on the pages and these can be helpful on certain occasions but it is important to remember that it is unlikely that the book’s previous owner was Einstein so be wary of their comments. Some students will pre-order their books weeks before classes even begin, and others will wait to actually go to class, and see how badly they really need that textbook, before they spend a penny. Some buy all of their books at once and get that expense out of the way, while others buy the books as they are needed throughout the semester. Purchasing textbooks marks the beginning of a fresh semester and I like to think that the information I will obtain from the text is worth more than any monetary amount…right?
Selling textbooks at the end of the semester is another task that you will become more comfortable with once you develop some personal preference. It is always disappointing when you return your $160 book to the bookstore and receive $40 back. Some take the $40 and walk away thankful that they never have to look at that dreaded book again. You can spend a bit more effort trying to wring every penny out of the book by selling it online. Those of you that are less fortunate will face the dreaded words: “your textbook is an old edition” from the store clerk and then selling online becomes your only option to get any money back. This whole process can be very frustrating and unfortunately I can’t really tell you what the correct way is to purchase or sell textbooks because it varies for everyone. Eventually you will develop your own routines that will hopefully make the process a little easier on your wallet and a bit less intimidating as each new semester begins.
"We are coming back with daughter #2 this year!"
"I can not thank you enough for all of your help. When I first called you I felt like I had an ocean of uncertainty in front of me. You had (and have) a methodical, and proven process to weed through the enormous and overwhelming amount of information and schools that are out there. You narrowed things down and recommended a targeted list of colleges that matched my daughter's personality, as well as her personal needs and academic goals. We would never have found her dream school had it not been for you. She is loving it and we have you to thank for it.
