Textbooks are an obvious necessity for college, but it does not mean you need to buy all the recommended books from only one bookstore.
Most of us have already registered for our spring semester classes, and we will be preparing to sell back our books from this semester and replace them with a tower of new books.
The total cost for these books can sometimes equal the price of a new laptop, especially if the books are new (at least for now) and from our fine Ferris State Barnes and Noble Bookstore.
There are always a number of options when it comes to buying and selling books, and sometimes a little extra effort will put more cash in your pocket and keep it there. The following is a guide to buying and selling textbooks and saving your student aid. Your future self will be very thankful.
Let’s start with selling books. The on-campus bookstore is one of the easiest ways to sell back your books, but don’t look to make much money through this method. Even Great Lakes Books and Supply is going to buy your book for a lot less than face value, depending on supply and demand.
The best advice is to sell those textbooks as soon as possible. The on-campus bookstore gives the best value for the book for selling back early. Sell the book back to the bookstore only if the price offered is at least half of the textbook’s value.
Now, a better way to sell back books is using Amazon, eBay, the MyFSU Classified section, or Facebook Marketplace. Amazon is easy to use and millions of people will be able to potentially buy your textbook. However, this type of selling only works if you have the time to sell the books and go without the extra money, but both seller and buyer greatly benefit from these transactions. One thing to remember is to use common sense and exercise caution when it comes to private selling.
When it comes to buying books, I go through various sources, depending on price. If the book is hard to find on Amazon or other used book sites, I preorder it through Great Lakes or occasionally the Ferris State Bookstore.
Many students find it easiest to preorder all their books at the Ferris State Bookstore website using their financial aid and picking them up when they arrive. It also may be easier to return the textbook if the professor ends up not using the book
As convenient as this may be, it is also the most expensive way to buy textbooks, and getting cheaper used copies of books from the bookstore is all up to chance. Take some time to find the best deal and make the Ferris State Bookstore, or any seller, earn your business. n