Buying your textbooks from your campus bookstore can cost you several hundred dollars more than if you were to order them online. Many students order their new or used textbooks from either Amazon.com or Half.com and can save at least 50% off what you would pay at the bookstore, even with a student discount. What you end up getting and paying for may be soft-cover international editions, but all the content inside is exactly the same as the textbook from the campus bookstore. 

However, there are benefits to buying your books at the campus bookstore. Some colleges allow you to shop the classes you might take for the semester/quarter, and the bookstore allows you to buy the textbooks for the class and if you decide not to take the class by the deadline, you may return them. Also, ordering online requires you to plan out your classes earlier in order to get your books on time. Otherwise, if you’re like me, you don’t mind getting them a bit later, and in the meantime either borrow the required books from the library or from friends. Lastly, check with your bookstore, many of them try to give back to the community by hosting events and having giveaways.

Another suggestion for saving big bucks on textbooks would be to borrow or buy them from friends or other students who have taken the class before. You can also email a dorm list for people who have the books you need. And, check with the upperclassman, sometimes you might not even have to use the textbook for the class.