HOLY FREAKOUT!!!! (about books)

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:32am

this sort of goes along with the paying for college thread, but i just got my first semester books....and ya know what the total was???

$571.85!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! my entire life isn't even worth that much money....i don't know what to do!! AHHH!!!

granted, i am in 6 academic classes and have 14 required books..but still...i'm having a little bit of a freakout about it.

anyone else ASTONISHED at their textbook costs?

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 1:55am

Oh yeah. I've now resorted to buying books as I need them, in case the teacher doesn't end up making us actually use them (which has DEFINITELY happened...the teacher will skip a book because of time or whatever), but then sometimes it's a little difficult to obtain the book...

Basically, the whole thing SUCKS :0)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 2:24am

Used books are great... And if you're lucky, the underlining might help you out.

[secret-soul]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:06am

That happened my first year, too. Mostly because that was the year I had to buy my italian text book that I've then used for every year so I didn't have to buy it again. This year I've got Intro to Anthropology, The War Novel (for my english minor), Italian Language and Lit, Costume and Set Design, and Feminism and American Poetry(for my english minor). Classes don't start for another few weeks and the only class that has the books listed already was War Novel. 13 Books!!! I was like Holy CRAP. On the school bookstore website it would have come to $150, but with smart shopping skills I went to Amazon and bought all but 2 of them for a total (including shipping and handling) of $56.80. Thank you Used Books!

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 5:33pm

secret soul....that was such a good (and obviously simple) idea! i can't believe i didn't think of that!!

i just looked and saw that i could save over $200 by ordering from amazon. (even though some of the books i WILL buy new, just b/c i know that i'll have them forever and that i'll be better off taking my own notes in them)

[Born2cthelightsofbway]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 6:03pm

I really think that it is so stupid that textbooks cost so much, I mean, they are books!!! I know they can be big and all, but I mean college costs enough money, why do they hsve to charge so much for books. But yes, amazon is a great way to get used books, and in my opinion I really don't care that they are used, all I care about is getting the info I need.

[briarbrad]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 6:17pm

It isn't the colleges that charge so much for the books, it's the publishing houses. The publishers don't print many copies of textbooks because the market for each individual textbook is so small. In order to make a profit, the price for textbooks is higher than the the average book at B&N.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 11:12pm

Ah, ya wimp. I had 34 required books my first semester, and they came to over $600. So quit yer whining.

Or, you know, go to Half.com. Seriously, that place has been a lifesaver for me.

[suzycat]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 11:34pm

YES! Half.com is amazing. Embrace it.

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 12:29am

- whining has stopped -

34 is a wicked high amount, plum. (and yes, i say wicked. quit YER whining!)

i'm still surprised i had 14 though. my film class had 7 by itself!! what?! we'll spend so much time reading the books that we won't be able to watch the movies, sillies!! :-P

[actress_06]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 12:42am

My Brother is an Aquatic Biology major and his biology book was about $125 USED...Now that's crazy.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 2:09am

Prepare yourself: books often get more expensive each year, as your books will be more comprehensive and therefore rare.

Your best bet is to buy them off of other students, and to sell them to other students.
Both parties get a better deal than they would in transactions with bookstores.
You can use eBay (or if you go to Notre Dame, you can use http://www.ndbay.com ).
Often, people will post notices around my campus saying what books they have to sell.
Try those.