In my latest blog, I wrote of the high cost of textbooks and the problem of updated editions coming out almost every year, and why both of these are challenging problems for students. In this one, I decided to write about alternative ways of finding those books, mainly through various online sites and sellers like Amazon.com.

First of all, to make this matter clear, I do not work for Amazon or any other bookseller, so my intention here is not to advertise their business but to share some shopping alternatives with students like myself. Having said that, neither is it my intention to put our college bookstores out of business, but they too, I think, need to get real, especially with regards to their high prices; lowering some of their prices would help students and their business as well.

Online shopping, on this note, has been my way of making it through college. Websites like Amazon (or Bigwords.com which compares all the prices) offer way more affordable alternatives for students, even if that means waiting a few days for shipping. And when the term is over, students can easily sell that same book on Amazon for half the price or sometimes the same price as they originally paid for it. When it comes to Amazon, students with an edu email address can sign up for an Amazon Student membership which gives them benefits like six months of free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime. Often, students can qualify for online discounts as well.

Where do you get your books from?