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their costs. If you live off campus, it is wise to check apartment bulletin boards that are located in the laundry, workout, or community areas.

Many larger colleges offer the option to rent textbooks, but this is akin to purchasing books upfront and then selling them back at the end, and it rarely proves much of a savings. Renting merely eliminates the hassle of selling the books back after the semester and can make for a lower initial investment. However, this may be the best route to take for courses that you are uncertain of and may end up dropping after a few weeks.

And, last but not least - a sneaky trick to share. If you attend college away from your hometown, check with your local hometown library. This is particularly helpful for books that a course may require that aren't necessarily classified as "textbooks." This would include books that are required as extra reading for literature or history courses. You may just get lucky and find them at your hometown library. While not the most ethical thing to do, just continue to renew the book until all renewal periods have been exhausted, and then pay any late fees accrued from that period until the book can be returned. Although it is possible to accrue several weeks worth of late fees, it is cheaper in most cases than purchasing the book and then reselling it at a later date. This is impossible to do in a college town or at the campus library as there will usually be a waiting list for these books or where they will not be available for check out.

With that said, there is only one last thing to ask - when does the pizza get here?

Learn more about this author, Theresa Morrow.
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