2008 Woodie Awards
Save a buck and some stress
Students are discovering cheaper, less hectic ways of purchasing textbooks.
Angela Perez
Issue date: 9/14/06 Section: News
During the first week of school, many students ventured into the Student Center and braved the insanity of buying textbooks at the MJC bookstore.
Those brave souls stood in an extremely long line, which stretched from the entrance of the bookstore into the lounge area, only to be greeted with the high prices of new books.
Since purchasing textbooks for a new semester is a necessity for student success, the expensive prices at the bookstore sent some students searching for an alternate medium for buying their books.
A first and very wise choice would be to buy used books instead of new. Used books generally cost less than new ones and are typically in very good condition. The bookstore on campus does sell the used books students have sold back to the school, but the books you may need sometimes may not have used ones in stock.
In the case of not being able to find used books at the campus bookstore, there are other alternatives to try.
If it's used books you want, try walking around campus. In the entrance hall of the student center and outside, there is an array of flyers advertising used books for sale by the students. Colorful paper and large print catch the eye of the students passing by and offer great deals for students searching for used textbooks. The students usually put the condition of the book on the flyer so the buyers know what they're getting. Some even post a comparison between the bookstore price and their asking price. By purchasing books from other students you may be able to save a little money and help another student out at the same time.
For those tech savvy students glued to the computers, buying textbooks online is a more convenient and easy alternative. The internet has an abundance of websites designed for helping students find the best deal on new and used textbooks.
"This semester I bought online because it's cheaper," said MJC student Cameron Brown, "they didn't have the book I need, used, here."
Those brave souls stood in an extremely long line, which stretched from the entrance of the bookstore into the lounge area, only to be greeted with the high prices of new books.
Since purchasing textbooks for a new semester is a necessity for student success, the expensive prices at the bookstore sent some students searching for an alternate medium for buying their books.
A first and very wise choice would be to buy used books instead of new. Used books generally cost less than new ones and are typically in very good condition. The bookstore on campus does sell the used books students have sold back to the school, but the books you may need sometimes may not have used ones in stock.
In the case of not being able to find used books at the campus bookstore, there are other alternatives to try.
If it's used books you want, try walking around campus. In the entrance hall of the student center and outside, there is an array of flyers advertising used books for sale by the students. Colorful paper and large print catch the eye of the students passing by and offer great deals for students searching for used textbooks. The students usually put the condition of the book on the flyer so the buyers know what they're getting. Some even post a comparison between the bookstore price and their asking price. By purchasing books from other students you may be able to save a little money and help another student out at the same time.
For those tech savvy students glued to the computers, buying textbooks online is a more convenient and easy alternative. The internet has an abundance of websites designed for helping students find the best deal on new and used textbooks.
"This semester I bought online because it's cheaper," said MJC student Cameron Brown, "they didn't have the book I need, used, here."