Tips For Tackling Those Textbooks In College

College textbooks can really be a handful. From having to pay for them, to having to carry them, to having to actually read them, you’ll be getting to know those textbooks pretty well. Yet if all they’re doing is weighing down your backpack, then what did you spend all that money for? Or, maybe you didn’t spend much money, as you’re well aware there are

ways to get around the high costs of new textbooks.

Since it’s the first dilemma you’ll face while dealing with textbooks, those high prices don’t look like they’ll be changing anytime soon … or will they? Many textbooks are now available in e-editions, and your school or school bookstore probably knows which works might be available in e-edtion. If you have a tablet, an e-edition can be much more practical than a heavy book, and the cost is usually less. There are drawbacks, though, such as not being able to highlight text.

You’ll also never have to buy a new textbook if you don’t want to. So many sites and even area bookstores around your campus sell used textbooks. They’re cheaper but can be maybe a bit rougher around the edges. Some books will also be pre-highlighted, yet if that bothers you, try and ignore it and instead use highlighter tape, a different color, or simply underline text you find important. By reviewing the other parts of a text that a former student found important, though, you’ll have the advantage of taking emphasis of something you might have missed!

Also, you can try renting your textbooks from your school or from a bookstore around campus. While not offered on all campuses, it’s another great way to save money, since many textbooks you honestly probably won’t revisit once a course is over. And now that you’ve got the book, it’s no secret, you’ll have to read it! Don’t spend a lot of money on a book only to never open it!

Textbook reading isn’t exciting, but it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with material before going to a lecture, or it also provides a nice review of material after a lecture. By doing your reading, you can only help yourself better learn and understand material. You might also be a learner who learns better through reading than by listening. If that’s the case, that textbook reading will be imperative!

Textbooks, no matter how straightforward or scientific the topic, do provide some great examples and analogies in their writing. Such examples often make complex material more understandable, but if you never read it, it will do you no good! The bottom line is, do your reading. Even if you can’t read every page that’s assigned (and we won’t tell your teacher!), ignoring your textbook is wasting a valuable resource, and that’s the last word.