The textbook crunch can hurt even the fattest of wallets
Incoming students have enough expenses to worry about — rising tuition costs, decorating the dorm and finding their way around a new, exciting city.
Being cautious about where you buy your books can award you some extra cash to use on those late Thursday nights on the Hill, or even for some shopping on Pearl Street.
Listed below are popular classes that CU freshman take, along with the corresponding prices from major book stores around campus: the CU Book Store, the Colorado Bookstore on the Hill, Beat the Bookstore on the Hill and Amazon.com.
MATH 1011: Fundamental/Tech College Algebra
CU Book Store: New $80.00
Colorado Bookstore: New $80.00, Used $60.00
Beat the Bookstore: New $76.39, Used $55.91
Amazon.com: New $92.83, Used as low as $7.80
PSYC 1001: General Psychology
CU Book Store: New $120.00, Used $86.10
Colorado Bookstore: New $93.33, Used $70.00
Beat the Bookstore: New $111.31, Used $81.47
Amazon.com: New $102.55, Used as low as $3.90
ATOC 1050: Weather and the Atmosphere
CU Book Store: New $99.00, Used $74.25
Colorado Bookstore: New $80.00, Used $60.00
Beat the Bookstore: New $95.98, Used $70.25
Amazon.com: New $98.96. Used as low as $39.99
SPAN 1010: Beginning Spanish 1
CU Book Store: New $155.75
Colorado Bookstore: New $92.00, Used $69.00
Beat the Bookstore: New $151.08, Used $110.08
Amazon.com: $112.81, Used $65.99
Students can also check out the Web site CU Book Swap, which was started by a former CU student in 2002. The Web site is easy to navigate and allows students to check through thousands of book titles. Students are therefore buying directly from other students. Students can also register on the Web site to sell their own books after the semester has come to a close.
If you do choose to order from a Web site like Amazon.com, make sure to take into account time and cost for shipping. Students should check in with their professors to see when they will need books for assignments in order to avoid falling behind. Also, don’t be fooled by especially low prices. Make sure you look into the man behind the offer. See if the online seller
has a profile with purchase history and customer satisfaction posts.
Whatever the case, don’t jump into any book purchase too quickly. Take your time and look around. Take the time to make a few phone calls. It may seem like a hassle at first, but you’ll be happy you did with a couple extra bucks in your pocket.
