Quote:
Originally posted by christiangirl
I don't know about buying your books before school starts, I never do ... If you buy your books on-campus and they have a legit return policy, then this may not apply to you, but if not, it's what most students at my school do.
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Having worked in a college bookstore, I advise any student attending a large public university to buy your books ahead of time-- because if you don't, someone else WILL and when you go to get your books, they're already sold out and and on back-order (even online!) The bookstores anticipate how many students there will be in the class based on the order provided by the professor. This doesn't mean they order the full number of books. If you have to purchase a shrink-wrapped packet, don't open it until your professor confirms that yes, this is the packet I want you to use. Once you open that shrink wrap, you can't return it. This goes for some new books that come in shrink wrap and workbooks.
You can get your full purchase price back during Add/Drop (and depending on the bookstore, possibly up to the Withdrawal Deadline).
Whenever and wherever you can, buy USED. Look for a book with minimal mark-ups. Feel free to write in your textbooks, but know that come book buy-back you'll get more money for a book with minimal mark-ups. Try to sell the book back to the store just before exams begin. Shop around for the best sell-back price-- you will probably get more money for it online than at the official campus boostore or one of the off-campus collegiate bookstores.
You won't be able to sell back a workbook. If you can, you will probably get about 50 cents-$2.00 for it, and those shrink-wrapped professor packets are yours to keep-- can't sell those.
The stores need only to buy back a certain number for their inventory. If you sell yours back earlier before the buy-back rush, you'll get more money for it. Or try to sell it to another student.
