For many students, college is an investment in their future. Along with the costly price of tuition many students have to juggle the cost of living. Students are expected to supply their own textbooks for their classes, many of which come at a heavy expense. However, not all textbooks must be fresh off the bookshelves. There are various ways students can save money on their textbooks all while being sustainable.
One way to save money on textbooks is to utilize campus resources. One crucial library resource is the online databases available to students. They can be an excellent digital resource to find books and sources for school. Another alternative when utilizing the library is renting books. Both of these are great options to save money while being sustainably smart. Library resources may vary from campus to campus.
A great resource when trying to learn on a budget is networking! It is always great to make friends in all your classes. Students can split the cost of a book for the class among each other. This way students can also take turns sharing the books in between assignments. Students can print specific pages for certain assignments and share online access to their books. Making friends can be beneficial, especially if you have friends who have previously taken the class and no longer have a need for the textbook.
A reliable online resource for textbooks is Amazon. Sometimes books will be found cheaper on Amazon, if that is the case most campus bookstores will price match and students can either choose to buy from Amazon or their campus bookstore. There is also a renting option for some books on Amazon where students can rent the book of their choice for a set period of time.
Yet another way to save money on textbooks is opting for the electronic version of textbooks. The digital versions of textbooks are often the most up-to-date versions, cheaper and sustainable. In addition to the perks of digital textbooks is the convenience of being on the go.
There are various apps that offer students great alternatives to a cheaper and sustainable way to get textbooks for college.
ECampus is a great app for students looking to save money on used, rented, and new textbooks. It also offers students a way to rent their own textbooks after they’re done using them.
Campus Books offers students a way to compare textbooks prices across various platforms.
Chegg is a great resource for finding books as well as getting access to books digitally.
There are various expenses college students have to juggle. Textbooks can be one less financial stress through cultivating these resources. Not only are these great alternatives for pricey textbooks, but it’s also a great sustainable way to help the environment.
