During the first two weeks of school, the Bakersfield College campus can be found wallpapered with fliers for students selling their used books, hoping to get a small profit back from the hundreds spent on books each semester. “Bio. 11 book $50.00,” reads one flyer, and remarkably, this can be considered a bargain.
According to the National Association of College Stores, the price of college textbooks has increased 32.8 percent since 1998.
Even with the increase in textbook prices, the lines for the bookstore haven’t seemed to diminish. On average, during the first week of school, a student can expect to stand in line for 25 to 35 minutes outside just to go inside and wait another 15 minutes in line to pay.
Thirteen students were interviewed while standing in the line for the bookstore. Out of the 13 students, nine of the students never considered other options for purchasing their textbooks.
With so many options for students today to help cut down on the cost of textbooks and cut down on the time spent in those long lines at the bookstore, why aren’t more students taking advantage of the options?
Blanca Barajas, a first-time student at Bakersfield College and early childhood major, said that she is “taking four classes this semester … books are averaging around $65,” and she hasn’t looked around to purchase them anywhere else.? Brandon Belflower, liberal arts major and on his sixth semester at BC, said, “It’s just more convenient, and you get your books a lot faster [at the bookstore].”
Those willing to do a little research can find great deals on books. Tiffany Stranathan, a nursing student, was searching on Textbookland.com and found her introduction to chemistry book for $28.54. She said if she had purchased the textbook new from the bookstore, it would run $110.
Some suggestions for students to start catching the deals to save some money: Order early. Whether you are purchasing your textbooks online or in the bookstore, make sure to place orders early. If you are buying online, you need to give yourself at least a week or two to receive your books unless you are paying for expedited shipping, which can get costly.
If a student prefers buying from the bookstore, the bookstore usually opens a week before classes actually start; so, the student must shop before the semester starts to avoid long lines.
Ask teachers if they will be putting textbooks on hold at the library. Many teachers place their textbooks on reserve for their class so students who cannot get their books can check them out. Students can usually keep the book one to two hours to use in the library. You cannot take these books home, and it is a voluntary option for teachers.
Use comparison-shopping sites. These sites bring up all websites selling books students are requesting .
This site shows the prices, and many even show the condition, shipping, and tax. Also, if a student can find a book out of state, he or she can save on not having to pay tax.
Check for free shipping offers from companies. Many companies offer free shipping if a student spends over $30 or $50 per order.
Also when a student purchases books, it is really important to read the return policies before buying anything, just in the event that the wrong book was purchased, or in the event that the student decides to drop your class.
And most importantly, if the student buys textbooks from somewhere other than the bookstore, he or she should double check the ISBN, title, authors, and most importantly, the edition. Make sure you are purchasing the book that the teacher will be using.
For those students who don’t want to keep textbooks for years, even to reference them, there are many helpful sites out where students can sell those textbooks.
CampusBookSwap.com is much like an online wall to post fliers to sell books, and it is categorized by school. Or, there is always the BC campus to post fliers on.