2006-08-16 07:59:18 · 13 answers · asked by *<i:o) 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
Yes, absolutely. I will never buy my books in a college bookstore again. You can save up to 50% - 75% by purchasing them online. I often used amazon.com to purchase mine.
2006-08-16 08:06:03 · answer #1 · answered by hot_chocolat718 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Mostly, but there are a few caveats if you buy online:
1) You may get an international edition, which you cannot sell back to your bookstore.
2) You may not have the exact edition needed - Stewart's "Calculus" for instance, the standard undergrad Calc book, has about five different editions every year. Make sure you search by ISBN# (it's on the back cover) , not just title and author.
3) There may be books not available on-line.
4) If the price difference is small, it may be overcome by shipping and handling fees.
5) The worst possible thing is to shell out $90 for a book only to have it lost in the mail and spend three weeks sorting things out with the seller, while still having to buy something for your class. Moral: order early, order from a source you trust (ie, is highly rated).
I'm a grad student in economics, bought all of mine on-line, spent about $120 total.
2006-08-16 09:04:47 · answer #2 · answered by Veritatum17 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes it is better. Problems arise when you get a sweet deal only to discover you have the wrong edition or that the used price in the bookstore was twenty dollars less.
Check the boards on campus dedicated to students selling their used books, and make sure their price is lower than the bookstore's used price. Offer $5 less than the bookstore's used price and check the book's condition before handing over your money.
Do not unwrap any book you buy from the bookstore before you have confirmed with the teacher the text is correct. You will only get your money back if the book is in its original wrapper. This is good advice as I took a book to the class only to find out the teacher was not using a text at all. If I had unwrapped that book, I would not have got my hundred dollars back.
2006-08-16 08:13:47 · answer #3 · answered by Caffeinated 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its cheaper to buy your books online rather than your school's bookstore. Try amazon.com or half.com. Many of the books are priced 50-75% off. Keep in mind that shipping may take a long time.
An advantage in buying your textbook in your college bookstore is that it is easier to return the book if you do not need it or decide to drop the class.
2006-08-16 08:39:53 · answer #4 · answered by ObliviousRoses 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes! It's so much cheaper to buy them used, either online or at a local store. Just make sure that it's either the right version/edition of the book, or that the professor has okayed using previous editions. You can e-mail the prof to ask.
2006-08-16 09:10:03 · answer #5 · answered by Kiari 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should buy your books where ever you can find them the cheapest!!! I never bought my text books from the University, unless it was something the prof had made at a copy store. I always bought my books online or at a local bookstore!
2006-08-16 09:04:06 · answer #6 · answered by plantmd 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It might be cheaper...shop around for the best price, but remember to factor in shipping rates and shipping times...sometimes it may just be easier to buy from the bookstore even if it's a little more expensive than online. Try Amazon.com and bn.com (barnes & noble)...I used those sites in my college days.
2006-08-16 08:06:36 · answer #7 · answered by mdel 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, your 1st link didn't work for me. I'm not sure. I always like ot have the recommended stuff. But as long as you're not using a KJV or they're not using some special annotated version I think you'll be okay so if money is a factor I can see why you wouldn't want to.
2016-03-27 04:40:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could usually find cheaper at amazon.com
2006-08-16 08:04:56 · answer #9 · answered by Joonseo 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
only because it's cheaper, but convenience of the bookstore will always be very expensive.
2006-08-16 08:04:42 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋