College Textbooks – What Are Your Options?

College textbooks are necessary and they may be one of the things that are stressing you out the most about college. You may have even heard horror stories of how expensive they are from other friends or family members that are currently in college. These necessary college supplies can easily be over $100 or more per book. You may be starting college for the first time this upcoming semester or maybe this is your second semester and you bought all your books new the first semester and have your own horror stories. Check out below for some ways you can ease the pain of buying college textbooks.

Buy Used – First of all, buy used college textbooks. This will probably mean getting to the school bookstore as soon as you know what textbooks you need for class. Everyone else is going to be thinking the same thing as you – get the used books and save a lot of money. Purchasing a used textbook can mean the difference between paying nearly $200 and paying $80. It’s worth it to go early. When purchasing a used book, you do want to make sure that you flip through the pages a bit to make sure that there aren’t pages and pages of solid highlighted material that will make your studying session harder. Determine how much writing you can live with in your textbook.

The College Bookstore isn’t the only option for buying a used book. If you take a look around the college halls and bulletin boards, there may be notices that college students from the previous semester may be selling a book that you need at a cost that may be even less than the used book cost in the college bookstore. 

Look Online – Check out the internet for the edition of the book you need. Again, it may be less than the cost of your college bookstore. However, there is also the uncertainty that comes with not knowing what condition it is in. This is another circumstance that you need to decide what you can live with in regards to how written in or highlighted your college textbook is when it arrives to you.

Ebooks – Have an ereader or tablet? Look online and see if there is an ebook available for your textbook. There are a lot of benefits to an ebook textbook. You will save storage space in your dorm room, you’ll save a lot of money, and you also won’t have to carry a lot of heavy textbooks to and from class. When you leave your home, apartment, or dorm room, you may be packing up textbooks for quite a few classes that are back to back. That can be a lot of strain on your arms, back, and backpack. If you have a ereader or tablet and don’t mind not having a physical copy of your textbook, see if your textbook is available as an ebook.

Rentals – This is a pretty great option. You just rent the textbook you need for the amount of time you need and then you don’t have to worry about having an extra book around at the end of the semester that you didn’t want to sell back to the college bookstore because of not getting much money back for it. The downside is you have to limit highlighting and writing and make sure the spine and covers are in good condition because students will be renting the book after you. 

Novels – If you’re taking an English class and you need a certain novel, if you already have the novel you don’t need to go out and buy a new one. The page numbers may be off if they are different editions, but it will save you money. Look in the school bookstore first to see if there is a used edition. If there is not and you have a membership to a bookstore nearby that will allow you to get a percentage off of the book, then check out that bookstore to see if they have it. Also, you may want to see if a used bookstore has the novel you are looking for.

Eating in College

Living in a college dorm room can be stress inducing at first. You’re nervous about living with a roommate along with your college classes and everything that goes with it. You’re probably even nervous about the food and college cafeteria.

When you’re living in a college dorm room, you’re probably going to have an eating plan for the college cafeteria. This will give you a certain amount of meals for the day, week, or month depending on how your college arranges the meal plan. You may have already found out your meal plan and done the math in your head and are worried that it won’t be enough. Don’t worry, though – chances are that you won’t be eating in the college café 3 meals a day every day. It may seem it at first but once you get into the swing of things at college, you’ll find that your meal plan is just right. The reason is because you’ll more than likely be eating on the go, in your college dorm room, or going to dinner with your friends.

You’re probably wondering about the quality of the food at college. You’ll find that some food items are really good and you know to have those items when they’re offered and you’ll also find what items to stay away from. Sadly, it’s going to be a trial and error process.

You may be wondering how in the world you can eat in your college dorm room unless you get takeout every time. With the simple addition of a mini-fridge or microwave, you can actually do a lot. Your college may even let you have a toaster but they may have regulations if you can use it in your college dorm room or in the common room. If you plan on eating on the go or in your college dorm room, there are some things you need on hand. You won’t be able to do an elaborate dinner like your mom made at home, sadly. After all, there won’t be much room in your dorm room or in your mini-fridge for the items you need to make that elaborate dinner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat good food. You can still keep some fruits, veggies, and dressings for salad in your mini fridge. What is great for eating in your college dorm room are boxes and cans of food – you can keep them in your closet in a designated area so you can have some different food options. This is where macaroni and cheese, soups, and ramen come in handy.  And if you’re allowed a toaster, you can keep some bread in your closet, too. And don’t forget about bringing leftovers to your college dorm room after you spend a weekend visiting your family.

The trick of cooking in your college dorm room (or even the common room)? Not setting off the fire alarm. The fire alarms in residence halls are extremely sensitive. You don’t want to be the person that sets off the fire alarm at 6 in the morning because of burned toast. Whatever you’re cooking, keep watch of it. Don’t wander off or get distracted by something on your cell phone. It isn’t like when you’re at home and you can step away from your toast and not worry about it burning or setting off an alarm. That may mean you have to start your toast at a low or mid-point in the settings and then when it’s done deciding if you need more time. The important thing is just keeping an eye on your food. If it’s starting to smoke and smell, stop cooking whatever it is.

Lastly, make sure you cover whatever food you are warming in the microwave. The last thing you want to do is scrape spaghetti or macaroni and cheese out of your microwave when you could be hanging out with friends.

Transitioning to College

College can be tough. There is a huge difference between high school and college and it can be difficult to transition between the two. You’re getting used to two different things at the same time and it can be overwhelming. You have to get used to living in a college dorm room and being on your own for the first time and you also have to get used to your college classes. Check out below for some things you can do to help ease the transition between high school and college.

First of all, call home. Frequently. You may be used to texting and think texting your friends and family will help the homesickness, but it won’t help completely. Don’t underestimate how much it can help to hear the voices of your loved ones, whether you’re an hour away or in another state or country. They’re your support system and when you’re feeling down or stressed, sometimes just talking with them and hearing their words of encouragement can help you through it.

Find things to do on and off campus. Finding things to get involved in both on and off campus are incredibly important. By getting involved in clubs and organizations, you can feel like you belong at college and are a part of the atmosphere. By doing things outside of college such as walking around the park, going to the zoo, or even sitting and studying at a coffee shop, you’re fully immersing yourself in your environment and making a home for yourself. Plus, when you’re getting out and doing things around campus, you’re not shutting yourself in your college dorm room and isolating yourself. You’re getting out and making friends and having fun. That being said, don’t be afraid to make new friends. Your high school friends will always be there and won’t go away just because you’ve made new friends. Making new friends will allow you to be more sociable and feel like a part of your new campus and area.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and don’t be afraid to talk to your professors. If you’re having trouble, ask for help either from your professor or a tutor. No one is going to judge you or treat you differently because you ask a question. If you’re having trouble with your classes, get help because otherwise you’ll feel more overwhelmed as upcoming lessons build on what was previously taught.

Finally, one of the most important things you can do is make your Residence Hall room feel like home. Bring plenty of pictures of your family, friends, and even your family pet to decorate the walls of your college dorm room with. Bring your favorite blanket or souvenir from a high school prom. Those mementos will really help you get through the tough days.