Alexia
How much do students normally spend on books?
#CollegeBooks
3 answers
Ben Parker
Ben’s Answer
Hi Alexia,
The costs associated with buying books can really vary depending on what courses you've enrolled in and whether or not the books you are purchasing are used vs. new. The National Association of College Stores estimates students paid about $580 for a year's worth of books but The College Board had a higher figure of closer to $1,400 - this included access codes, books, and related technology (The Atlantic, 2018).
When I began college, I bought all new books from Barnes & Noble and paid a high sum for the semester - it was around $450. I learned by the second semester it's better to go with used when you can. If possible, I recommend either buying a textbook used or renting them from the university library. These savings can add up over the course of ~4 years!
Hope this helps!
Ben
Ben recommends the following next steps:
Serge V. Vaval, M.P.A.
Serge V.’s Answer
I used to work in a bookstore when I was in college. You can approach this in a variety of ways. You can buy used books at the bookstore on your college campus. Most of the books only had 1-2 users of the book and it's still in good condition. Another option you can go is to shop online for your books. A lot of websites offer discounts for students such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and etc. Another way is students would post fliers on the walls to indicate they are selling their books which would be cheaper than the bookstore. Hope this helps out.
Sharon Pamplin
Sharon’s Answer
books are expensive. You may want to consider E-books or simply renting books. Once you choose your major, many of the same students will be in your classes. You may work out book trading with other people in your major. I was on the basketball team in college and we traded books amongst team members to cut down on the cost of books.