When do you usually have to buy books for the fall semester of college?When do you usually have to buy books for the Fall semester of college?
College bookstores and book companies make a TON of money from you buying their books at full price. So they try to get you hooked on buying from them before you even get there.
You don't even need to think about buying your books until the first week or two before your classes start. If you can get a list of the books you'll need before you start your classes, you'll most likely be able to order them online for a lot cheaper.
Once in a while your professor will put together a packet or something that you won't be able to get online. But for the most part, I'd steer clear of getting books from the college bookstore. If you want some tips for saving money on college books, check out this article: http://makecollegereality.com/succeed/ge鈥?/a>
Many students don't buy books until they have attended the first day of class and a) are sure they intend to stay in the classes, and b) are sure that the book listed is the correct one. Others do buy the book in advance, but keep in mind that unless what you have been assigned are things like readings packets compiled by the professor, there is no requirement that you buy the books from the college bookstore at all. Most are comparatively expensive.
Another warning based upon a recent experience I had with a student: If you do buy the book, especially from some place other than the school bookstore, don't unwrap it and start looking through it before the class starts (unless you have been given a specific assignment by the professor to do so). If the book turns out to be the wrong one, or the professor changes his/her mind, you may only get 50% back on the cost of the book if you removed it from the wrappings.When do you usually have to buy books for the Fall semester of college?
First day of classes, when you know if the teacher really wants you to get the book. Sometimes the lists aren't updated.
Might I suggest you not buy brand new books, and buy old ones than you can sell to someone else when you're done? Textbooks.com is a good one, and you can find several others good ones as well. You won't be using the books after the class unless they are major related, and some you might not use at all. It's wiser to buy a used book, than buy a pricey new one.
Wait until class is actually in session to buy your books; some teachers will list a textbook that they aren't going to use in class just because they're required to list a book.
A way to save major money is to check what books you need from the online bookstore, and then buy them from eBay, Amazon, local used bookstores (ones near campus are best), or Alibris (my personal favorite). Shop around to get the best deal. Sometimes if the textbook you're going to use is a brand new edition (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc) you can ask your professor if you can use an older version of the book. They'll usually say yes, because the content doesn't change that much, and you can pick the book up for even less.When do you usually have to buy books for the Fall semester of college?
WAIT WAIT WAIT!
The secret to buying college textbooks is simply this. The school store suckers young college kids with HIGH PRICES on books because they know that your freshman student is going to run in and buy every book the professor lists on the reading list.
I suggest you wait... wait until the last possible second when the Prof tells you that you will need to read from the book, or do homework from the book. Many Prof's list a textbook on the syllabus that they NEVER EVEN REFER TO during the class. You drop a cool hundred on a book that is going to sit on your bookshelf all semester.
Free advice... get an amazon.com account, and if you really need the book... buy it used on amazon textbooks. What else is cool... school bookstores RIP YOU OFF on resale of the books. Sell your book on amazon to other kids who need it, and you make more money while saving that kid a ton on book prices too!
There are some sites were you can buy used books at a cheaper price. I get my textbooks from amazon. I would buy them before the semester starts, so you'll feel prepared for school. Hope this helps :0)
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