Renting vs Buying textbooks

whats the best way to go? The semester starts on monday and i havent bought my books yet, because I dont know whether to rent or buy

from your experience, which is the best choice?

Best thing I did was but USED books!!! They were always in brand new condition. You can get them for cheap!!!
Or buy new & re-sell.

I bought all used books last semester and still spent 440 on them.

Oh geez. That is alot. I've spent hella money on books but sold them all. I guess do what's better financially for you!

i know im just really conflicted and to top it off nervous about starting a new semester

Depends on the book/subject. Will you ever reference it later on in your life? I love my textbooks and am always digging them up. I would recommend buying them used online for super fucking cheap. Or don't buy/rent one at all - at least half of the classes out there can be passed without a book.

/e buy used online, not from the campus book store.

Torrentz FTW I personally think college level books are way over priced 300 dollars for 400 level pft computer science with minor in philosophy

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37242047/12-most-expensive-college-textbooks-in-america/

Highest Priced College Textbooks

1. Acta Philosophorum The First Journal of Philosophy: $1,450
2. Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications: $1,215
3. Management Science An Anthology: $850
4. History of Early Film: $740
5. Biostatistical Genetics and Genetic Epidemiology: $665
6. Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology: $600
7. Feminism and Politics: $600
8. Concepts and Design of Chemical Reactors: $593
9. Advanced Semiconductor and Organic Nano-Techniques: $570
10. Ethics in Business and Economics: $550
11. Environment in the New Global Economy: $510
12. Solid State Chemistry and Its Applications: $500

I use most of my calculus books every so often. Chemistry/physics too

Gastanker said:

Depends on the book/subject. Will you ever reference it later on in your life? I love my textbooks and am always digging them up. I would recommend buying them used online for super fucking cheap. Or don't buy/rent one at all - at least half of the classes out there can be passed without a book.

/e buy used online, not from the campus book store.

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This! College bookstores are a ripoff. Check around your school for a student paper, or dorms where others may be selling their books from prior terms/semesters.

I ended up renting one and buying the others, since they werent availible to rent

Gah. I shopped carefully and nabbed the last copy in obscure little bookshops and still ended up paying about $500. And then I had to switch courses because my degree was full of shit. So now my textbooks (which are all bullshit anyway) are lying unused. I wish I'd have rented or used the library.

Does Amazon carry the textbooks? The "used books" part of Amazon is *my friend*. I found some truly lovely out-of-ptrint specialist volumes for visual astronomy there. I cannot imagine that textbooks that are not "brand new this year" aren't there for cheap.

I could not imagine renting textbooks ... they became references for life for me. Still have some. I also can't imagine/tolerate getting a textbook that some wingnut High-Lightered until it looked like a laminated tennis ball. My books were essentially in new condition at course's end, even though i'd read then 5-8x during the semester. cn

just sayin
http://www.torrentmybooks.com/