Make your textbooks make you money
Michael Bagwell
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: News
By Michael Bagwell
Staff Writer
924154690@gsc.edu
Textbook costs are on the rise, and if you receive the HOPE Scholarship, you might already know that the $150 book allowance doesn't quite cover the bill. But it could. Buying and selling your textbooks online can save you hundreds of dollars each semester.
If you've ever paid full price for a textbook at the bookstore, you know it's not fun spending that much on a book you might use once or twice during the semester. And if you don't intend to major in that subject area, you've just paid a high price for a somewhat useless book.
As the trend is becoming popular to buy textbooks online, some students are still not aware of the money they could save just by using a Web site.
"I buy all my [textbooks] at the GSC bookstore," said student Nick Tatum.
He also sells his books back to the GSC bookstore during the buy-back period at the end of the semester.
Tatum said he prefers using the bookstore because it's quick and convenient.
But using online Web sites such as Half.com, A1Books.com and Cheap-Textbooks.com is how one GSC student saves $600-$800 each semester.
"I buy and sell all my books online," said GSC student Tori Carpenter.
The money that Carpenter saved by using these Web sites has allowed her to put her excess financial aid money to good use with the "purchase of a new laptop computer," she said.
"It makes it a lot easier, too, when some Web sites offer e-books that can be downloaded right to your computer," she said.
Buying and selling books online is a very simple process.
Half.com, Amazon.com and A1Books.com each have a marketplace in which students can buy and sell textbooks to each other, often at deep discounts not found at college bookstores.
Buying and selling at these sites is safe and secure because the transaction is conducted through the actual Web site and not between the buyer and seller directly.
Other Web sites, such as eBay, craigslist and even Facebook offer a similar marketplace for buying and selling textbooks.
One Web site, though, has an innovative approach to the textbook market.
Chegg offers students "savings of 65-85 percent" when renting books from their site.
Renters can choose either a semester, quarter or summer term that fits their school schedule.
The Web site also gives students the option to buy, sell and donate textbooks.
And this Web site has a commitment to the environment by "planting a tree for every book you rent, buy, sell or donate," according to its "Rent, Reuse, Renew" philosophy.
Staff Writer
924154690@gsc.edu
Textbook costs are on the rise, and if you receive the HOPE Scholarship, you might already know that the $150 book allowance doesn't quite cover the bill. But it could. Buying and selling your textbooks online can save you hundreds of dollars each semester.
If you've ever paid full price for a textbook at the bookstore, you know it's not fun spending that much on a book you might use once or twice during the semester. And if you don't intend to major in that subject area, you've just paid a high price for a somewhat useless book.
As the trend is becoming popular to buy textbooks online, some students are still not aware of the money they could save just by using a Web site.
"I buy all my [textbooks] at the GSC bookstore," said student Nick Tatum.
He also sells his books back to the GSC bookstore during the buy-back period at the end of the semester.
Tatum said he prefers using the bookstore because it's quick and convenient.
But using online Web sites such as Half.com, A1Books.com and Cheap-Textbooks.com is how one GSC student saves $600-$800 each semester.
"I buy and sell all my books online," said GSC student Tori Carpenter.
The money that Carpenter saved by using these Web sites has allowed her to put her excess financial aid money to good use with the "purchase of a new laptop computer," she said.
"It makes it a lot easier, too, when some Web sites offer e-books that can be downloaded right to your computer," she said.
Buying and selling books online is a very simple process.
Half.com, Amazon.com and A1Books.com each have a marketplace in which students can buy and sell textbooks to each other, often at deep discounts not found at college bookstores.
Buying and selling at these sites is safe and secure because the transaction is conducted through the actual Web site and not between the buyer and seller directly.
Other Web sites, such as eBay, craigslist and even Facebook offer a similar marketplace for buying and selling textbooks.
One Web site, though, has an innovative approach to the textbook market.
Chegg offers students "savings of 65-85 percent" when renting books from their site.
Renters can choose either a semester, quarter or summer term that fits their school schedule.
The Web site also gives students the option to buy, sell and donate textbooks.
And this Web site has a commitment to the environment by "planting a tree for every book you rent, buy, sell or donate," according to its "Rent, Reuse, Renew" philosophy.
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