bookstore = constant PAIN

Published

:grn: This is the 3rd quarter I've taken a beating at the bookstore. I understand that books are expensive, I've already got a degree. But my goodness!!! :(

For those of you farther into your programs, does it lighten up a bit? You'd think they'd start to rely on some of the materials we've already got - the books are fairly comprehensive.

Maybe? :rolleyes:

Library. It's your friend if you get there first! I have several review books from there. For peds, I also checked out a textbook. It isn't the one we use in class. It's the same authors though and the information is the same. I am very glad that I saved that money on a seven-week course where I have barely used the book.

I've bought my other textbooks, but I buy from half.com. I saved a ton of money that way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I rarely use the campus bookstore except to buy college gear like t-shirts and gifts ;)

Make friends with the people a class ahead of you and borrow or buy their books for a discount. We also had an ABSN class mixed in with us so I would buy/borrow from friends in that class too. I've found that several of our textbooks are actually available online through our library. I've found the required drug book, laboratory testing guide, leadership, nursing diagnosis handbook, and then I've also found some good reference guides or other nursing texts that weren't what we were using, but were helpful. It's also great because then you don't have to lug around a bunch of textbooks and it's free!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't use the school bookstore. We have a bookstore across the road that sells used books. But mostly, I use amazon.com or textbooks.com.

I don't need no overpriced new book. Every used book I have purchased looks new, and for about 1/4 of the price.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

pre-nursing student but i've been using half.com since almost the beginning

i always tell as many people as i can about it, no one should have to buy those overpriced books all the time:no:

kinda crazy since they must know we're broke! lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I unfortunately have to use the bookstore, because I use my financial aid to buy my books, and we don't get that money till the first day of class. Yeah, it sucks that they're expensive, but I pay for it with a book allowance connected to my scholarships....and consider it the cost of doing business.

Oh and to the OP, our book requirements did slow down after the third term (in a 9 term program). Hope the load gets lighter for you as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you only need a textbook for one semester Chegg.com rents books at great prices. Prices change daily, getting more costly as it gets closer to the beginning of the semester. I also always check retailmenot.com. It is a website that has promo codes, to save more money. Often 10-15% off or free shipping.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i just started school & priced the books at the school bookstore, as well as B&N and amazon. the difference was only about $60 total to get them online, so i didn't bother. i searched forever online for used books, but didn't find anything. to be honest, it wasn't worth the aggrivation for me to buy used books, or order online & possibly not get them in time to start (one week...i was accepted last minute bc someone else didn't pay their tuition). anyway, WISH ME LUCK!! this looks difficult. :uhoh21:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

ILL BUY BOOKS!! First semester books only. PM me, if interested.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I'm lucky, our school has textbook rental. 75% of our books are at the book rental and we pay $25/class. Doesn't matter if it's one book or three--$25. Our patho/pharm teacher "strongly suggested" the Incredibly Easy book for Fluids & Electrolytes, drug book, and a lab values book. I got those from Amazon.com I did buy a bookbag and scrantron forms from the bookstore.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Why is anyone still using their school's bookstore? Go to amazon or another online site. My textbooks are at least 1/3rd cheaper or more when I buy direct from amazon.com plus free shipping and no sales tax.

Also don't forget: buying books from the class ahead of you, borrowing books, using the library, using the internet instead of buying reference books, etc.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Find out from your bookstore what thier prices are based on.....I know at comunity college where I am taking my prereqs, New are sold at suggested retail, used are sold at 75% of suggested retail, and used are bought back at 50% of suggested retail.

Some schools wont tell you, and DO inflate prices. A quick look up should pull up suggested retail/list price and you can at least figure out how much the mark books up and what % they sell used at. If you know, or can figure out what % they buy back at, see if you can buy used books that you plan to sell back close to that % of suggested retail online. I know I have done that a couple times. Then you can just sell back to book store and break even. Or see if you can sell at an in between price to people that are going to be taking that class.....more then you can sell back to bookstore for, but less then they would have to buy from bookstore for.....ends up being win/win.

Buying new, amazon tends to be best in most cases.

Buying used and sometimes new, half.com is good, but you have to be careful. I have bought new there and there are some shady people on there.....especially ones that have names that imply that they are "text book dealers/wholesalers/recyclers/supplyers" If no codes/cds/extrabooklets are ment to be included with the book you should be fine...if not make sure the listing clearly says that they are included, I have twice had issues where I bought a book under the ISBN that should have included a CD, did not, or a code was missing. Also they sometimes use loopholes for listing things. Half.com has strict rules that you can not list paperback under hard back ISBN, or old editions or international versions, under newer ISBN or so on. What the "deallers" sometimes do is once your order from them is send you an email stating "oh we just realized, we are out of that book, BUT we have that book in binder edition/international version/paperback/older edition, and if you would like that I will give you a 10% discount." ....all of which are different isbn, and under half.com rules are not allowed to be listed under that ISBN, but that is how they work around it. If you don't mind, go for it.....I have binder edition of my AP book and love it.....but it is NOT as good of a deal as they try to make it sound like, and they are not showing the great customer service they are pretending to......they knew they didnt have that book, and they new they book they had wouldnt sell if listed as it was, so they made it sound like a great deal.

Used books from individuals on half.com that clearly list the condition are good deals....especially if you plan on selling them back and get them around the buy back price.

Other thing you can do is LOOK for the binder edition, international version, paperback, older edition. All depending on WHAT the book is for (a area that terms or procedures are often updated, or that you will be working problem sets from a book you might not want an older edition, and most of these would be undesireable for trying to sell back)....all will be far cheaper then hard cover. In all honesty, I think once i get my list of books i need for nursing school I will be looking to see if I can find ALL of them in binder edition. I loved that with my A&P book. what it is is you get the entire book, identical to the same edition in hard cover, in loose pages shrink wrapped together and 3 hole puncnched.....It may or may not come with a binder. It costs considerably less then hard cover book, and you can take the couple chapters you are working on out of the large binder and put them in a small binder to carry with you.....very conveinient to carry around. Plus in the big binder holding the entire book, you can catalog your notes with the chapters they go with, or as an additional appendex, keeping it all together. I would recomend this with any book you plan on keeping as a long term reference.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
:grn: This is the 3rd quarter I've taken a beating at the bookstore. I understand that books are expensive, I've already got a degree. But my goodness!!! :(

For those of you farther into your programs, does it lighten up a bit? You'd think they'd start to rely on some of the materials we've already got - the books are fairly comprehensive.

Maybe? :rolleyes:

Stop donating more money to your school! All you need to know is this: half.com

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion