Okay... as you all know, I just spent an insane amount of money on books for school. Well, I got to thinking and I looked up my city library online. I browsed through their catalog and found 6 of the books that I need for class. I matched up the ISBNs on them and everything... they are the EXACT same books. So I went to the library and checked them out. But... there's a catch. You can check out the books for 3 weeks and you can only renew them once for another 3 weeks after that. Once that time is up, I have to return them. I can recheck them out... but they have to be allowed to be placed back into circulation. People are able to reserve books that are currently checked out and they can be notified that a book the book have been checked in. So... should I risk it? I can take the books back that I purchased up until the next Friday. I would be getting back about $75. Is the saved $75 worth the risk of me losing my book to another library-goer right in the middle of the semester? Its always possible that there will still be a copy available for me to recheck out... but what if there isn't? I would be totally screwed.
do you know you'll definately need the books? I'm having a book dilemma as well, I dont know whether to buy from school, amazon, or at all. Last semester I spent a ton on books and never had to use 1 of them and got only a fraction of the cost back at the end of the semester and they sat untouched. Maybe scope it out the first week or so and see which ones you'll seem to need, if you wont need them too much you could get away with using the library ones periodically. Amazon usually has great deals on used ones, especially people selling them through amazon, you can get nice books under $10 because people just want some money for them.
They are books from a literature class... so I assume we WILL be reading them. LOL! There are several different branches to the library and most of the books are available in 1 or 2 copies at each branch. I just wonder if someone else will have to same idea and all of the books will be checked out. They aren't worth all that much because they are just novel type books. They are only like $12 to $15 each. I was thinking that I wasn't going to need the $105 solutions manual for Chemistry... but the text book doesn't have any of the answers in the back of the book! Normally, I have found that if there are answers in the back of the book, then the solutions manual isn't of much use to me. But without those answers there... I just don't know. I'm going to wait until the first day of class so I can get the syllabus for the literature class. I'll be able to see when during the semester we will be reading all those books. I have until Friday (a week from today) to return the books to the bookstore for a full refund.
Well, if they become overdue after the renewal time, just keep them as long as you need it. Just pay the over due fee when you are done with it!! It would be cheaper than $75!! Right?
Or after the second renewal(hopefully no one has it reserved), just have a friend or family member go check it out for ya!!
that's totally true danandmarsh... i used to just get my books on half.com and then re-sell them there. in fact i just sold almost all my fashion design & graphic design books there and i have been out of school for about 2 years now!!
Okay... I looked the literature books up on Half.com. Unfortunately, once you pay for shipping they end up being about the same as what I paid for mine at the bookstore. That's really not going to help me much. The Chemistry solutions manual, I was able to find for $65 plus shipping in "good" condition. I paid $105 at the bookstore for it. That's not a huge savings... but it would be doable.
So now here I am wondering about the books from the library again. I looked on the Blackboard website for my school and most of my classes have the syllabus posted. It looks like all but one of the books will be used towards the end of the semester. So what should I do? Return the ones I bought for a refund and hope I'll still be able to have the library ones checked out (one way or another) but the time April and May roll around? Hehe... this isn't what the library system is meant for. I guess I just don't know if its worth the $75 or not.
You know, there wouldn't be much of a problem getting all them online (to save money that way) if I actually HAD the money to pay for them. The accounting office had to deduct the books from my financial aid refund after I showed them the canceled receipt from the bookstore... it was the only way I was going to be able to pay for them before school started.
Location: Topeka,KS which is straight down the Yellow Brick Road in the Land of OZ!
Posts: 56
Re: Should I risk it?
I personally never risked doing that when I was in college.
But I was also in school for my BS in Electrical Engineering.
And I also used to right all my notes in my books.
So for me that idea would have never worked out.
I guess that to me the $75 is not alot of money to waste compared to say the cost of the tuition for the class or classes and without the books is it worth failing the class?
Also that could and would bump you back another semester from graduation!
I wouldn't want the added stress of wondering if I could check the books out in 8 or 9 weeks! Spend the $75!
Don't make school any more stressful than it already can be!
Gosh BRS... I really don't know what to say... I mean, the only time I did something similar was when I took American Literature last semester... the syllubus given out on the first day of class listed all the stories we were going to read within the textbook... So I copied all the stories... and sold the book back for a full refund... It was only a $55 book. But I did get lucky there... Now in your situation, you don't know what specific material you will need, and it is risky having to check out the books... and hoping they are even available to check out!!! I say if you're only gonna save $75... I say spend them. You'll be on the save side and worry free.... Or you can find out how much late fees on books are??!
__________________ WISHLIST:*Balenciaga Giant Something *Azur Speedy 35 *Valentino Historie *YSL Muse Two
::sigh:: I know... its just that $75 is in fact $75. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of money, but hey... it would buy groceries. My husband wants me to do it... but I don't know if its worth the risk and all. You guys are probably right... LOL! I probably sound really pathetic right now.
Oh, BTW, I'm not spending all that much on school. The government gives me lots of free money because I am poor. LOL! It just took until AFTER I was married for them to decide that I was poor. Perhaps I shouldn't have wasted those 8 years of not being married...
::sigh:: I know... its just that $75 is in fact $75. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of money, but hey... it would buy groceries. My husband wants me to do it... but I don't know if its worth the risk and all. You guys are probably right... LOL! I probably sound really pathetic right now.
Oh, BTW, I'm not spending all that much on school. The government gives me lots of free money because I am poor. LOL! It just took until AFTER I was married for them to decide that I was poor. Perhaps I shouldn't have wasted those 8 years of not being married...
I totally get you... you can find other use for those $75.00. Hey to me... $75.00 is something, especially when it's coming out of my pocket. Gosh I don't know what to say... It's risky and all... but you're going to be kicking yourself for a while if you find out that those textbooks were available in the library all semester long.
__________________ WISHLIST:*Balenciaga Giant Something *Azur Speedy 35 *Valentino Historie *YSL Muse Two
Okay... I found my Chemistry textbook on half.com. Well, at least I think I did. LOL! It has the same ISBN, same author, edition, and year... but the publisher is listed differently. I e-mailed the seller to see if this was the correct book. Okay... so if I buy the textbook and the solutions manual on half.com then it will cost about $230 with the shipping. I paid $301 plus tax at the bookstore. If I have them shipped ASAP, do you think I'll have them by the time I have to return the ones I purchased to the bookstore? I have until Friday to return them for a full refund. Do you girls (and guy) think that this would be a good idea?
Location: Topeka,KS which is straight down the Yellow Brick Road in the Land of OZ!
Posts: 56
Re: Should I risk it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by boysRsmelly
Okay... I found my Chemistry textbook on half.com. Well, at least I think I did. LOL! It has the same ISBN, same author, edition, and year... but the publisher is listed differently. I e-mailed the seller to see if this was the correct book. Okay... so if I buy the textbook and the solutions manual on half.com then it will cost about $230 with the shipping. I paid $301 plus tax at the bookstore. If I have them shipped ASAP, do you think I'll have them by the time I have to return the ones I purchased to the bookstore? I have until Friday to return them for a full refund. Do you girls (and guy) think that this would be a good idea?
I do remember also what it was like back in college and how hard money can be to come by.
I ate aaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooo ooooooooooottttttttttttttttttttt of top romen and mac and chese back then, in fact to the point of I can't stand either of them today! But seriously, If I knew the books were in perfect shape and the correct ones and could get them in time for my classes I would do it.
Otherwise I would bite the bullet.
BTWBRS You just made me feel so special maybe even wanted by the "(and guy)" !
I actually do like your forum here It's a nice break from the Music forums that I have 5000+ posts on!
The technocrap that I usual post about gets old at times and boy do I repeat myself time after time and ........
Should I risk it?
Don't forget to send your buddy's gift to them by December 17th!! 
Change your theme to the 
I'm going to wait until the first day of class so I can get the syllabus for the literature class. I'll be able to see when during the semester we will be reading all those books. 
I e-mailed the seller to see if this was the correct book. Okay... so if I buy the textbook and the solutions manual on half.com then it will cost about $230 with the shipping. I paid $301 plus tax at the bookstore. If I have them shipped ASAP, do you think I'll have them by the time I have to return the ones I purchased to the bookstore? I have until Friday to return them for a full refund. Do you girls (and guy) think that this would be a good idea? 
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