Thrifty Textbooks

Three Ways to Lower Textbook Costs

Breanna Carpenter
Production Manager

Buying textbooks twice a year can get pretty darn expensive! I’m here to share with you all the ins and outs of buying textbooks for less.

1. Buy secondhand. For those of you who don’t already know, on Omnivox there is a tab under My Services titled “Secondhand Books”. This is where students can put books they no longer need up for sale and sell them to new students for a reduced price. Beware, these transactions are done in cash and obviously non-refundable. To be safe, check with your teacher first and see if you can use a past edition. Also make sure that they don’t require an electronic code for your textbook because it will have been used up by the last student who purchased the book.

2. Share the coursepack. When taking a large number of courses, the costs of coursepacks can add up really quickly. During your first session, make a good, reliable friend in the class and share the cost of a coursepack. One of you tcan keep a hard copy while the other scans a copy and reads it on their laptop. Be cautious with this method and confirm with the teacher whether they use their coursepacks in class or exclusively for homework material. If it’s the latter, then sharing with a friend is a great option!

3. Buy an electronic textbook. If your course requires an electronic resource and code which can normally be found inside a new textbook, then this method might be the perfect way for you to cut costs! It is possible to forgo buying the textbook and simply buy the code alone. Pearson Textbooks in particular often have an electronic version of the textbook that is included with the code. Keep in mind to ask your teacher first if they use the textbook consistently in class and check thoroughly to be certain that the particular electronic code you wish to purchase contains an electronic textbook. It is also worth noting that the textbook can only be accessed while connected to the internet.