Student life is expensive enough without all the added extras you need. This little guide looks at the cheapest places to buy text books from. Each text book will cost you between £30-40 brand new, and some are even more than that.
Text books are worth having. I mean, they contain lots of key info and background reading for courses. They are especially useful for coursework. But, where can you get cheap ones from…well, we’ll tell you now.
One quick question though…
Do you really need the book?
A lot of units will have their own ‘core text’ which is recommended right at the beginning. A lot of lecturers will expect you to buy this, or at least have regular access to a copy. But quite often at the end of a unit I think ‘what was the point of that?’…I barely used the book. So ask previous years to see how much they used it. There’s no point buying a book if you don’t actually need it. Also have a think about:
The University Library
This is a serious option. Text books can be expensive, so what’s the point in buying one if there is plenty of them in the library? All books will usually be booked out throughout the last week before a hand in…but before this they are generally freely available. It’s worth starting work early if you’re going to save plenty of money which could be spent on alcohol right? Unfortunately this isn’t an option for some, as popular courses are generally coupled with low amounts of the same text book in the library meaning only a few are lucky enough to be able to get a hold of them. But this is definitely worth giving some though.
If you need a copy of the book for yourself. Then have a look at these options below, they’re great for finding cheap books.
Places to find Cheap Textbooks
Older Editions of the Book
A lot of text books will be in their 3rd, 4th, 5th etc edition. For a lot of units, older editions will still be suitable. New editions generally aren’t that different from the older ones so this is a great option for finding a bargain. Older editions of the textbook can be found online on stores such as Amazon and Waterstones and can also be found on campus at the uni book store. It’d probably be worth asking your lecturer whether or not you are able to use old editions, as for some units there will be things which are in the new edition only. So please ask before buying one.
Old students and the Student Union
Old students have no need for their books once they’ve completed a unit unless they’re going to be passing them down to family members which isn’t that likely. They’ll be wanting to sell their books, and usually for a snippet of what they’re actually worth. Students will advertise these on the notice board, and through the unversity intranet usually so keep an eye out.
Also, the Student Union may have some sort of book service where they sell old books from old students. These are also heavily reduced in price so keep an eye out for these!
Ebay and other Auction Sites
Now this is a great way of getting old books cheap. People who are selling their books will generally use a website such as Ebay to get rid of them. Definitely check this out as a method for getting cheap books. When students sell their books they generally don’t give a shit how much they get for them so long as they get rid of them so you can get some real bargains. Signing up for an Ebay account is really easy, if you do then make sure you get PayPal which is a must if using Ebay. It allows instant payment to the seller using you bank account or card. So, if after second hand books - get going on Ebay!!
Amazon.co.uk - More Buying Options (Used and New)
Amazon is a great option for buying books, but I found that prices on Amazon were often the same as buying form the university book store or from the high street. However, there is another option on the site where users can sell their goods through Amazon. Look out for ‘More Buying Options’ on books and any other products. Click on this and it will give you many more options to buy. Take this as an example. I gave a quick search to a research methods book I used for my dissertation written by Saunders et al. On the high street it’s around £40, and it’s the same price on Amazon. Now, if I were to look at ‘More Buying Options’ I get a screen like this:
As you can see from the image above, it lists the items with a description - there are some used (like new), used - acceptable and others which are new. But look at the price, it’s £25. That’s £15 cheaper than buying it directly from Amazon. Even when you factor in £2-3 for postage it’s still a great saving.
So there you have it, our guide for buying cheaper books. If you can think of any other ways then please leave comments below. Also, if you found this useful then please add it to the social bookmarks below. Our other student guides can be found by clicking here.
If you’re wondering anything else then please head along to our Student Bar Forum by clicking here. There’s a great set of people over there, so go over and sign up.
