Books, Books, Books, Time to Study

Let Reality Begin

Now that our sons and daughters are all settled at college, the reality of necessities begins. They are students again and are starting the real reason that they have been sent off to college, to study therefore, they will undoubtedly need books. HaveUHeard that UGA participates in the Open Educational Resources initiative designed to support and incentivize faculty adoption of high-quality Open Educational Resources (OER) in place of traditional and expensive textbooks? UGA is also one of the top universities that have saved their student’s money through the adoption of OpenStax free college textbooks. Make certain your student checks the resources out first before purchasing books.

No longer do students need to wait in line at the bookstore to purchase their books. Yes, they can still do that, but today books come in many different forms and can be purchased in a variety of ways – including rentals. Deciding which is the most cost-efficient and easiest way for your students to get their required textbooks are important factors. Personally, I think it is wise for students to wait until after their first class to purchase their book. There may be a book listed for a class, but in the first class, the professor may announce that they are using something different. It happens. So, if you know your required book, be prepared as some can cost you a couple of hundred dollars. Professors love to use the latest versions, so the older ones may not work for you. Your student may tell you that they need money for a code. Yes, some classes require you to purchase an online code to receive an online version of text or tests.

Book Buying

Once you know if you need an actual textbook or a digital version, be sure to look for a used text or a rental. Hopefully, one that hasn’t been marked up too much will be available. Many places and sites will rate them on how “used” they are as well.

Also, a great idea is to ask sorority or fraternity sisters and brothers first. Students would much rather sell their book to a friend than back to the bookstore. There are also posts advertising books available on students’ private Facebook pages. You might want to mention to your students that upon meeting new people, they can get the low-down on classes and professors before registering. If they are taking that class now, or have already taken it, they can see if the book can be saved for them.

Here are resources for buying or renting textbooks:

• UGA Textbooks – Facebook Page
• Facebook – Use the UGA Class you belong to (or all years)  Facebook group to buy and sell textbooks. All you have to do is post a photo of the book, the name of the professor you had, and the class name you used the book for. Some students prefer this way because they do not have to stand in the never-ending line in the bookstore, they do not have to go to the post office to send a book back to a sell-back website, and they can control the selling price.
• UGA’s bookstore – UGA bookstore allows you to buy, rent, and price match with textbooks.
• There is also an option for students to sell back books at the end of the semester if they are still in good condition. The bookstore will also buy books back for up to 67 percent of what was paid for them — a small bit more than some off-campus bookstores will payback. They also will price-match any textbooks found for a better price on bn.com, Amazon, or from local competitors. For specifics read their policy. You can order books online and pick them up at the bookstore right on campus. They can also be returned there at the end of the semester.
• Bel-Jean Copy & Print Center – This is a local print shop where many students go to buy course packets that are required by certain professors.
• Barnesandnoble.com – You can pick from 60, 90, or 130 days for your rental and you can extend it if needed. You will see the shipping cost after adding the book to your shopping bag and returning your rental is free.
• Chegg is popular with students for renting or buying books with free 2-day shipping over $35. And they have a 21-day risk free returns in case students drop or switch classes. Right now they are offering savings up to 90% on textbooks. Rent or buy and get 7-day instant access to the e-book or savings up to $500 on textbook rental or purchase.
• Campus Book Rentals – Whether renting or buying, they offer a 21-day guarantee so if you drop a class, you can return for a full refund. Rental periods are customizable so if you need it just for a test, you can choose that too.
• Amazon Prime – Students can use their UGA email to get six months of Amazon Prime for free (free shipping) and then for only $50 a year. And, yes, Amazon rents too.  All rental returns are shipped for free and you will receive a notification reminding you when your book is due.
• VitalSource – For digital textbooks, you can highlight text, take notes, and search for specific content online.
• Textbooks.com- offers free shipping on $25 orders and 30-day returns. Guarantees 50% back at the end of the semester if you purchase a guaranteed cashback book.
• Bookbyte – Search for your textbook and then review rental term options. You can rent the book for 30, 60, 90, or 150 days, priced accordingly. Bookbyte offers free shipping for receiving and returning the book for orders of $49 and up.
• eCampus – offers rentals for three different rental options: short-term (think summer session), quarter, and semester. Make sure to sign up for their e-rewards program. free shipping for orders over $35 and they offer discounts just by texting them a code.
•  U-Loop. Uloop is a student marketplace listing by the school where you can rent, buy, or sell your textbooks. All come with a 21-day satisfaction guarantee (14 days for eTextbooks.
• Amazon Prime Student – Then there is Amazon. Students can use their UGA email to get six months for free. And yes, Amazon rents too. I love the idea of renting but know the details. You usually only have around seven days to get the books back to their company at the end of the semester. Don’t forget, or your student could be charged a full-price fee.
• It is, as I said above, a matter of weighing the options. I personally think renting is the least expensive way to go. Students can save as much as 80% by renting a textbook for the semester. There have been a proliferation of other online and smartphone apps for buying and selling college textbooks.

When it comes time to sell back any books that were purchased, consider the website Sellbackbooks.com. It is somewhat like how CarMax works- simply put in the ISBN number and they will give you a quote on what they are paying. The quote is valid for 7 days.

Now that your student has all of their information, let the studying begin!

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