The best bargains beyond the bookstore
With a little internet know-how, students can save big on textbooks for this semester
Julia Swanwick
Issue date: 1/29/04 Section: Lifestyle
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There is no denying that Emerson College is an exceptional school, but when it comes time to shell out thousands upon thousands of dollars, everyone has the right to get a little agitated.
According to the Financial Aid Department, Emerson students can expect to spend $22,663 a year for full-time tuition and fees (not including room and board). This fee allows students to take advantage of unique opportunities offered in many fields of communication as well as benefit from the school's excellent reputation. But that $22,663 does not include textbooks.
The Financial Aid Department estimates it will cost the average undergraduate student $680 for books and supplies per academic year; that comes to $340 per semester. Depending upon course load and year, students have been accustomed to spending anywhere from $200-$400 each semester. Students who do not receive financial assistance from the college or their families are finding these figures especially outrageous.
"I can't believe that I spent almost $150 on one book for this term," Marian Didio, a marketing communications major said. "I work to pay for my own books and I can't afford to pay the bookstore hundreds of dollars every semester. The prices are just too high."
No matter how cute the staff is in the Emerson College bookstore, we all dread walking in there and handing over a credit card that will be maxed out with the purchase of four books for class. Not only required textbooks, but everything else in the bookstore is extremely overpriced. The good news: there's another way to get the same books at a fraction of the cost. All you need is the internet, a credit card, and a lot of patience.
Buying new and used textbooks online has become easier and more secure over the last few years. Today, major sites like Amazon.com and eBay.com host separate sites for buying and selling textbooks. Sites like CampusBooks.com and CheapestTextbooks.com display prices and availability of books from a variety of sites such as Half.com, Amazon.com Marketplace and eCampus.com on the same page to cut searching time.
According to the Financial Aid Department, Emerson students can expect to spend $22,663 a year for full-time tuition and fees (not including room and board). This fee allows students to take advantage of unique opportunities offered in many fields of communication as well as benefit from the school's excellent reputation. But that $22,663 does not include textbooks.
The Financial Aid Department estimates it will cost the average undergraduate student $680 for books and supplies per academic year; that comes to $340 per semester. Depending upon course load and year, students have been accustomed to spending anywhere from $200-$400 each semester. Students who do not receive financial assistance from the college or their families are finding these figures especially outrageous.
"I can't believe that I spent almost $150 on one book for this term," Marian Didio, a marketing communications major said. "I work to pay for my own books and I can't afford to pay the bookstore hundreds of dollars every semester. The prices are just too high."
No matter how cute the staff is in the Emerson College bookstore, we all dread walking in there and handing over a credit card that will be maxed out with the purchase of four books for class. Not only required textbooks, but everything else in the bookstore is extremely overpriced. The good news: there's another way to get the same books at a fraction of the cost. All you need is the internet, a credit card, and a lot of patience.
Buying new and used textbooks online has become easier and more secure over the last few years. Today, major sites like Amazon.com and eBay.com host separate sites for buying and selling textbooks. Sites like CampusBooks.com and CheapestTextbooks.com display prices and availability of books from a variety of sites such as Half.com, Amazon.com Marketplace and eCampus.com on the same page to cut searching time.