Every semester, college students everywhere face the same wallet-burning question: How to get the required texts without breaking the bank.
Everyone knows that the prices are outrageous, and only increasing. The General Accounting Office reported in July 2005 that textbook costs nearly tripled between 1986 and 2004, now nearing 72% of the average tuition-and-fees cost at 2-year public colleges. Long-term solutions range from imposing legal regulations to developing open-source texts. But for the average student, the most important thing is still the same: how to get the books, cheap, fast.
Across the country, students have found various solutions to the “textbook problem.” May their experiences help you save.

Succumb to the Bookstore
Most students give up without a fight. In the interest of time and convenience, they begrudgingly pay the full cost at the campus bookstore and try to claim rejoice for the fact that they are set with a brand new copy, ready for them to highlight, bend, warp, and stain with coffee and pizza grease. This is the easiest option but costs are accordingly high. The best part is that you get a new book with little hassle (other than the 2-hour-long line at the checkout).

Search the Shelves for that Used Copy
Sometimes the bookstores have used copies up for grabs. These are a bit cheaper; the common practice is to set the price at 75% the original. The other plus is that books are screened before bought back, so a level of quality is assured. However, very few copies are available and you’ll have to be a lucky early bird to get the rare worm. This is the easiest save and you may actually run into used copies that were never cracked (and maybe it’s a sign that you won’t have to either) and just like new. Luck is of essence here. A definite advantage is that you can see what you’ll get.

The Bulletin Marketplace
A sure sign of When students sell used books back to the store, they usually only get 50% of the original price back. When the store sells, it jacks the price up to 75% the original.