The cheapest textbooks are the ones students don’t bother buying. But if it is really necessary to own a book that more than likely won’t be read in its entirety and is only needed or wanted for three-and-a-half months, there’s a way to beat the system.

•    Check out the Web site www.ratemyprofessor.com for comments about the class you are about to take. Students who have already taken the class will often tell you if buying the book isn’t necessary.

•    Type in a book’s ISBN on the Web site www.addall.com. It’s specifically there to bring up a list of all the Web sites selling a particular textbook and lists the prices on each site.

Always try to get used books because schoolbooks are like brand-new Kias: they devalue an obscene amount the more you use it. This is America, and FAU doesn’t have a monopoly on books.
 

Googling used books brings up close to about a quarter-billion sites. The main Web sites that have books readily available are www.amazon.com and www.half.com. If for some reason you can’t find a book, or a professor insists on a specific edition, there’s a store called Booksmart across the street from FAU. Students can take their time over the next week or so and go online, ask friends, or just walk across the street to get a better price. It’s not hard and leaves a little money left over for whatever you do in between classes.