5 Smart Textbook Tips to Keep in Mind Throughout the Semester

By Kailey Walters on March 4, 2019

Most likely, textbooks are a requirement for at least some of your classes. For the courses where you do need textbooks, how do you know which kind to get? Should you go with a physical or online version? How can you get the most out of your textbook use?

Read on for answers to all these questions and more on what you should be doing with your textbooks throughout the semester.

via Pexels

1. Know when to buy your textbooks.

Sometimes it can be difficult knowing when is a good time to purchase textbooks, what with all the different classes you may enroll in and then drop, changes the professor makes to the syllabus, etc.

Usually, an ideal time to buy textbooks is during the first week of the new semester. That’s because the first week of classes is — guess what — syllabus week, which means you’ll be getting the syllabus from your professors in each of your classes and able to see which textbooks are on the list. Also, if it is syllabus week, there most likely won’t be much (or any) homework or reading assigned yet — which gives you enough time to order your books that week and have them shipped to arrive by next week.

What’s more, there are bound to be some classes that you’ll end up dropping or adding later on in the semester. Waiting to see what the class is like before you buy textbooks can potentially save you a lot of money and stress!

2. Don’t buy from the bookstore.

In many cases, buying textbooks from your university’s bookstore means that prices will usually be higher. Sure, it can certainly be more convenient than shopping elsewhere, but if you are eager to save money, you should consider other options such as Amazon or even other textbook rental sites.

via Pexels

3. Buy used or rent textbooks.

As briefly mentioned above, a cheaper alternative for getting textbooks is turning to other sites where you can buy or rent. Textsurf.comBookRenter.com and Chegg.com, for example, are sites you can use to search for textbooks you may need.

Renting textbooks is especially a good option if you’re not so keen on keeping the book once the semester is over. Once your course is finished, you can simply return the textbook — which not only saves you money in the long run, but also prevents your personal space from getting too cluttered.

4. Consider getting the online version.

Online versions of textbooks are almost always cheaper than physical copies. You can find online textbooks in many different formats, as there are often e-books available on various platforms such as Kindle, Nook, and more. One potential option is CengageBrain.com, where you can purchase single book chapters for as little as $1.99. Even if the textbook you want contains many chapters, buying all of the chapters — and even being able to choose which specific chapters you need — may be a cheaper option than buying the entire textbook elsewhere.

Sometimes there are even free versions of textbooks that you can find online. A simple Google search can sometimes yield a PDF of the book you need. While this may not work all the time, it certainly doesn’t hurt to check!

5. Take good notes.

Once you have the textbook in your hands (or on your computer), it’s important to get the most use out of it. After all, you wouldn’t want to shell out all your money and then not read your textbooks.

So, to take advantage of your books, make sure to take good notes. Practice active reading. One way to do so is to summarize what you’ve read. After reading the chapter, or even a section of a chapter, take time to write down the main points so that you don’t forget. You can also look at headings and subheadings within the chapter as a guideline for your main points.

Taking notes for either a physical textbook or a digital version can be different sometimes. It all depends on your preferences and the system you devise for taking good notes. For example, taking notes with a physical textbook may mean that you have the book open in front of you while you type notes on your laptop, or perhaps you prefer to write notes in the margins (which is fine as long as you’re allowed to write in the book). On the other hand, having an online version may mean digitally adding notes to the margins or highlighting certain words and phrases all on your computer.

There are many ways to take advantage of your textbooks this semester. Being smart about when and where you buy them, and what you do with them, is sure to set you on the right path for this semester.

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