Purchasing textbooks is a rite of passage in every student’s life, but the process can be confusing and overly expensive to those who are unaware of their options.

Fortunately, several upperclassmen were willing to divulge their secrets for saving cash.

Allison Arnold, a senior in speech and hearing, spent more than $300 on books this quarter, “the most she’s ever spent,” she said. Her textbook strategy involves first purchasing books at the bookstore and then looking online to see if she can find them for less. If the books, including shipping and handling, are cheaper online, she simply returns them at the store.

Liz Crawford, a third-year accounting major, recently turned to the Internet to buy her textbooks. For a Computer Science and Engineering class, her professor sent an e-mail that included a link to an online store where the textbook was more than $50 less than most bookstore prices.

“The book came the next day, I couldn’t believe it,” Crawford said, who had to purchase new editions for every class this quarter. This is the first year that she ordered all her textbooks from the Internet. She ended up saving around $50 on each book she purchased.

Other students prefer to stick with bookstores because of the risk of online buying. Lynette Mesi, a sophomore in biochemistry, said students often order the wrong edition when they buy books off the Internet.

Many science and math courses use new editions each year, so finding the right edition can be confusing. Mesi is also required to purchase course packets and molecule models that are available only at campus bookstores.

Shopping around at various bookstores instead of visiting only one can also benefit your bank account. Senior Megan Steitz said students in smaller majors often shop at the Student Book Exchange. SBX usually has the most inexpensive books for her textiles and clothing major, she said.

General Education requirements and other classes that have high enrollment often have the most unpredictable prices. A used copy of Biology Concepts and Applications, the textbook required for all Biology 101 classes, is almost $23 cheaper at the Student Book Exchange than it is at College Town, but other stores have better prices on other books.

Derek Williams, a senior in accounting, said he thinks the price difference between stores ends up being trivial in the end. Instead, he opts for convenience over the hassle of checking prices. “I shop at Buckeye Books because it’s close to where I live,” he said.

Erik Rettman, a marketing senior, warns against buying unbound versions of books, which come plastic-wrapped in packet form with pre-punched holes for binders. Although bookstores sell this format for less, “you can’t sell the unbound ones back” at the end of the quarter, Rettman said.

Steve Hacker, a criminology senior, saves his mom gas money with his books. “My mom gets money off of gas because she buys gift cards from Giant Eagle for Barnes and Noble and then I use them toward my books,” he said. Purchasing gift cards at Giant Eagle gives grocery shoppers points toward the FuelPerks Program that rewards shoppers discount on fuel.

Rob Stahr, a senior who works at SBX, said the biggest mistake students make is coming to the store without knowing which books to purchase. “Bring your class number and professor’s name,” he said.

Some textbooks are also available at Columbus Metropolitan Library branches and The OSU Library. If the university library does not have the book, all students can access OhioLINK and ILLiad to check out books from university libraries across the state and nation.

Many of the GEC texts are also available on open reserve in a special section at the Science and Engineering Library, but often there is only one copy of each book and they are not available to be checked out.

Ricky, a chemical engineering major, recommended checking for digital versions of books online. Google has a textbook search called “Google Scholar” that allows you to preview samples of books online.

When the quarter is finished, used textbooks can be resold to local bookstores or online at Web sites like half.com.

Many times, students are disappointed with the price they receive for their used books, at bookstores, if they are given anything at all. “It’s just not fair that classes change the edition every year,” said Williams.

Campus Bookstores:

Barnes and Noble: 1598 N. High StreetBuckeye Books: 2060 N. High StreetCampus Bookstore: 2009 Millikin Road (inside Central Classroom Building on campus)College Town: 1770 N. High StreetThe Student Book Exchange (SBX):1806 N. High StreetUBX Book Exchange: 10 E. 15th Avenue

Libby Zay can be reached at [email protected].