Most of you have started or will be starting a new semester. At the start of each new semester, is when students find themselves spending the most money. On what, you ask? A new course load means new classes and new classes mean lots of new books. It´s that time of the year where you need to go through your class syllabi and add up how much you´ll be spending on books. Every year it seems that textbook prices keep on rising, but at the same time the opportunities to save money on books are constantly growing as well. Below are 3 ways to save money on textbooks, which you can then use to enjoy  your weekends!

  1. Read Through Your Syllabus
    At the beginning of every course the professor gives out the class syllabus for you to review. Most syllabi have the entire course broken down, so you know what topic you will be studying in what week and what books you will be using as reference. To make sure that you don´t overspend on your course textbooks take the time to see how essential each book will be throughout the class. If you will be required to read 1 or 2 essays from a certain book then you should consider not buying those books, but rather renting them, or checking them out from the school library. This way you will be able to follow the material, while not spending too much money.
  2. Rent Books Online
    Although buying and selling online is a common occurrence for many , renting is not used by as many people. At the end of each semester most people sell back their books to the school or sell them to people who will be taking the class the next semester. If you don´t want to take the time to do research to find the best deal on a book or the thought of trying to find someone to sell it to doesn’t appeal to you, then book rental is perfect. From the beginning everything is already set up. You order, you rent, and at the end you simply return. InternationalStudent.com has a great resource not only to rent books, but also to buy and sell online. It is also a great tool as it allows you to search and compare prices between different websites.
  3. Buy Used Books Online or From Other Students
    If you are the type that enjoys highlighting, writing, and making notes in your book, then you might prefer to actually purchase your own. You may even surprise yourself and realize there may be some textbooks that you really enjoy and decide to keep for your personal library. University bookstores normally have a section for selling used textbooks, however you can usually find it a lot cheaper online. Student2Student is an online portal that helps students connect to others on their campus to buy or sell books to. This is a great way to help your fellow student and could even be a great way to network.

For more great tips on how to save money, check out our Budgeting and Saving section!