Textbooks come in many kinds and sizes! We’re used to hardcover and softcover (paperback) books from our childhood, and now eBooks are becoming more and more popular, also at colleges. What about loose leaf textbooks, or so-called binder-ready editions? They’re not as common but still used from time to time, and there are rumors that these textbooks are cheaper. What’s the deal with loose leaf textbooks? Let’s explore all the ins and outs together.
For those asking “How much do college textbooks cost?” and “Why are textbooks so expensive?” we have the following shocking statistics. According to the data from College Board, college textbooks and materials cost more than $1,200 per year. That’s a lot of cash for books you’ll never use after you finish that class!
That’s not the only alarming statistic. With textbooks costing an average of $105.37 each, it’s no wonder why college students would rather get a lower grade in a class than shovel over hundreds of dollars every school year. The price of textbooks has mimicked the rise in tuition over the past couple of decades. Between 1977 and 2015, textbook costs have risen about 1,041%.
The high cost of college textbooks remains one of the major student problems and a significant expense alongside tuition and accommodation. With prices of some new textbook copies reaching several hundred dollars, not every student is capable of affording them.
Today, we’ve decided to look closer at how the textbook industry works and try to understand why textbook costs are so high and how they influence student life and decisions. And more importantly, we wanted to show how to leverage more affordable options like buying used books or renting textbooks (of course, with the discontinuation of Amazon rent textbooks program, many students will have to adapt and look for other rental alternatives).
Textbook citations are a relevant topic for all college and grad students and everyone in the academic world. There are many citation styles, but in this guide, we’ll cover the most commonly used ones—MLA, APA, and Chicago. Before handing in your research paper or article, make sure you learn what style is used and expected in your institution.
The Amazon textbook buyback program was first launched in 2011, and for nine years, it was a huge success. Millions of books and textbooks were traded in, so many students benefited from it. Thanks to the program, Amazon accumulated an impressive inventory that it can now offer for rent.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and so did the Amazon Trade-In program, which was closed in 2020. However, this doesn’t mean there is no way to sell textbooks online—textbook buyback hasn’t ended with the end of Amazon’s textbook buyback program. In this article, we’ll tell you about the best online platforms where you can sell your books now.
As a college student who wants to make the best grades, you need textbooks to aid your studies, understand your lectures, and in the end, pass your exams without fuss. However, buying these textbooks can be a hassle due to their high prices, low availability, and minimal usage. Also, there are some textbooks that you won’t utilize fully as you only need a few chapters’ worths of information but no one is going to sell part of a textbook to you. Luckily, there are 33 websites where you can get college textbooks for free! Let’s have a look, shall we?