Ask DeAndre: when and where should I buy my textbooks?
DeAndre' Upshaw on Aug 26, 2009 
In my years as an RA, one of the questions that I got most frequently were in reference to where the best place to buy books was and when should they be purchased.
So! Here's my answer to all of your questions! Hopefully this will both enhance and empower your textbook life!
Where?
In my studied and long experience, buying books from the bookstore is both teh lame and expensive. The upmark on textbooks is kind of ridiculous and will make you weep. Purchasing textbooks off line is almost always your best bet.
Facebook Marketplace is a great place to find books in your area, and Amazon is a great place for books all over the world. The way publishers make money on textbooks is by releasing a new, minimally changed edition ever year and charging "new" prices for them. Pick up a previous edition (sometimes for $0.01, really) and see if it will work for you.
Why would someone sell a textbook online for $0.01? People on Amazon often want to get their buyer rating up (which shows others that they are honest sellers) so they'll sell items they don't need for literally pennies. Get one of these and if it doesn't work out, you're only out a few cents plus shipping.
When?
I find that it makes much more sense to buy your books near the conclusion of your first week. Occasionally professors will decide not to keep books on their curriculum, and sometimes all you'll need from the book is just one or two pages.
By the end of the first week, its usually easy to tell whether or not a book is needed. Most teachers will give you about a two week pass when it comes to books - if you decide to order them offline, do it by the end of the first week of class.
But What Will I Do in The Interim!?!?
In the time of limbo between school starting and your books arriving, you will admittedly be without. As I said earlier, your professor will usually give you about a two week pass. During this time, see if the book is available in the library! (that dark dusty place on campus that only studious people go to).
When the book store can't move product, occasionally they'll give them to the campus library. Shoot, if you find one that works for you, go ahead and use it all year!
And if you really get desperate (and I'm not going to act like I've never done this), when you need to study or read, go to the bookstore, grab a book and sit down and read. Yes, its bold, yes it may be janky, but this is about education, people!
Got any other tips, tricks, hacks and jacks (I don't know why a "jack" would be applicable here, but it rhymed)?
Leave em in the comment section! Remember, we're giving away a free $50 iTunes gift card this month!
DeAndre'
