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Should I buy all my textbooks before the class begins?

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There are advantages and disadvantages to buying your books ahead of time as opposed to waiting until the class has started to purchase. However, the most benefits seem to lie on the side of advance planning.

First of all, when preparing to purchase textbooks, make sure that you have registered for your class. While this may seem obvious, some people try to plan ahead and purchase books that they need for a class they’ll take later. This sometimes works; however, in other circumstances, the book list changes, or a new version is published that they will need, making the earlier purchase unusable. As soon as you have registered for the class and received a copy of the book list from the professor or registrar (not just former students; once again, the book list might have changed.), start doing your research on prices. You will most likely find that online sources – especially the ones with used copies – are going to be the most affordable for you. Because you started this process early, you can go ahead and purchase them, having plenty of time for the shipping process. Although it is not always the case, waiting until the last minute usually mandates that you purchase from the bookstore, which has by this time jacked up prices in response to the high demand.

The other option is to wait until the first class meeting to purchase your books. The reason that so many people practice this method is that on the first day of class, many people find that not all of the books listed will actually be used. They may have just been listed for extra reading or references. Also, some classes are canceled if too few students sign up for them, so purchasing ahead of time may leave you with a set of books for a class you can no longer take.

Sometimes, the best compromise in this decision of when to purchase the textbooks is to buy books that have a return policy. (Unfortunately, not all online used sellers give this luxury, but some do.) Then, you won’t be forced to purchase the books with marked-up prices from the bookstore after the first class; but you can return them if you don’t need them. Reselling the books is also an option if you find that you don’t need them. If you bought it online, perhaps you can turn around and sell in online again.

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