Buying used textbooks is cheaper, easier to find and resell, environmentally friendly, and may contain helpful marginal notes and highlights. Used books can be up-to-date and offer significant savings, and are available from various sources.
There are many advantages to buying a used textbook for a class over a new one. Not only is a used book generally cheaper, it’s also easier to buy and resell than a new book. Also, buying used textbooks is more environmentally friendly and gives you the opportunity to read marginal notes or highlighted segments from previous owners.
The price of a used book is generally much less than that of a new book, and buying used can yield significant savings. For example, used science books are often around 50% or 60% of the price of newer versions of the same books, with some reduced to 30% of the price of the new book. Many used books are the same edition as their newer counterparts, so students won’t miss out on any up-to-date information, and page numbers or chapter order will be the same.
Buying a used book is also much more convenient for many reasons. First, used textbooks are often greater in number than new ones, so bookstores and websites often have more used books in stock or more connections to used book sellers. Second, used books can be purchased from thrift stores, online, from school bookstores, or even from friends who once took the same class, while new books can usually only be found online and in bookstores. Finally, reselling a used book usually earns a higher percentage of the original purchase price than reselling a new book. This means that if a student doesn’t plan on keeping the book, it will lose less value when reselling it.
An added advantage of used textbooks is the fact that they are environmentally friendly. Finally, buying a used book will lessen the future need to produce new college books if many other students are following suit. Many students value reducing paper consumption by purchasing used textbooks.
To the satisfaction of many students, used textbooks also often contain marginal notes and highlights that can be beneficial when studying. Some of these notes will be facts or data that are not included in the book itself, providing extra relevant information and study material. For students planning to read the book, the highlighted sections will also generally be an advantage, as they can point out the most important information in the book and the main concepts in each chapter. Many students find that they also benefit from making additional notes in the book to pass along to the next owner at resale.
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