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With the overall cost of a college education constantly on the rise, the added cost of textbooks and other class materials can make anyone feel like weeping. However, fear not! There are many useful loopholes that can be utilized to save yourself a little extra cash to use on the more useful college materials: pizza and beer.

First of all, be sure to pay attention to the required materials listed in a class catalog when choosing your classes for the semester. Usually these materials are already included in the cost of your chosen course, but this is not for certain. Whenever I was picking my classes for the next semester I was sure to have a calculator nearby.

Next, after writing down the extra cost of all materials and textbooks that you will need for each class, review your list and choose the items that you are absolutely certain you will need. For example, items like lab manuals, dissection kits, art kits, and any other tools or electronic devises are more than likely going to be used extensively. However, items like study guides, periodic table charts, and other "recommended reading" can probably be overlooked for now.

After you have recorded the prices of the above mentioned essentials, simply go to your first class for each course before purchasing any books (unless, of course, you were foolish enough to choose a professor that actually assigned homework prior to your first class). I cannot even begin to count how many times during my first two years in college where I came to the first class of a course with every single text required only to realize that three of the books were not essential.

Finally, after you have gotten a good feel for each class and what you may need in regards to textbooks for each, go back to your list and add what you need to buy. After doing this, DO NOT GO TO YOUR SCHOOL'S BOOKSTORE. There are literally hundreds of online textbook stores that offer astronmical discounts on almost every college textbook you can think of. A simple search on any wellknown internet search engine will lead you to victory.

Many older students are also usually more than willing to sell their used books for certian classes. If you are aware of a community bulleton board or school website, then it is almost guarenteed that the books you need are for posted for sale. You will find that these texts are also offered at a cheaper price than what your university bookstore is offering at least 80% of the time.

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