The fall semester is almost complete and it is time for book “buy back.” Bookstore policies are the same on all campuses. If a student purchased books at the Boca campus, the book can be sold back on any FAU campus bookstore.

“Buy backs are done year round, but the best time to come is during finals week, provided professors will use the book next term,” said Tami Garvey, bookstore manager at the Davie campus.

Students spend large amounts of money when purchasing books at the start of each semester and Garvey explains that publisher prices, the time period of updating textbooks, shipping issues, and all the fees to process books all contribute to why books are so expensive.

But to students it’s discouraging, especially when students sell back books at the end of the semester and maybe have enough money to buy a tank of gas.

“If the book is being used again next semester, fifty percent of the original cost of the book will be returned, if the book is not being used next semester, but in high demand, five to twenty percent of the original price will be returned,” Garvey said.

For example, in some cases, professors provide that students purchase a bundle of books — a package, which contains more than one text, a CD-ROM, workbooks, etc. This makes the students’ burden more because this is usually a more expensive route.

Daria Rubin, a graduate student who travels between both Davie and Boca campuses, has purchased bundles for several classes. “This semester I spent $650 on books. Two are no longer being used, I am keeping one as a reference, the others I am selling back,” Rubin said.

Some online stores, such as Varsity.com, offer textbooks for less expensive prices.

However, a book purchased from Varsity.com and similar websites cannot be returned to the FAU bookstore.

“I wouldn’t send a student to Varsity.com — you can’t beat coming into a store and meeting the person who will be helping you,” Garvey said.

Dara Elwin, a graduate student at the Davie campus, says bookstore employees have been extremely helpful. “I had trouble finding a book I needed for a class, the girl in the bookstore must have searched the store and the computers and twenty minutes later, she found the book.”

In addition, students who are looking to get a bigger discount on textbooks and other school merchandise, may want to consider applying for a job at the bookstore. Employees receive a 20 percent discount.