college textbooks

You may want to avoid straying to far from those big name sites. I've had some bad experiences.

Try chegg.com or barnes and noble.

But always, the school bookstore is the best way to go. Some textbooks have bundled CDs and study guides that may be required for a class that are exclusive to that school's bookstore.
 
Chegg is definitely the way to go but there are some other websites that have books for a much cheaper price than Chegg but take over a month to arrive.
 
If you do not mind renting books CourseSmart.com has pretty decent prices on book rentals. The only downside I have ever had is the books are held online via the CourseSmart site, so no internet access no book, but you can download the entire thing or chapters to your PC or tablet.
 
Previous editions are the way to go. Cross reference with a fellow classmate since the publishers reorder problems to make the book seem "different" than the previous one. Not much legwork when you consider you can get by with less than $50 in textbooks a semester (unless you have to get a lab manual or workbook).
 
Used textbooks are frequently sold on Craigslist as well as Facebook's marketplace. eBooks may also be worth considering, and I know Amazon has a pretty wide selection there. Aside from that, I'm not sure, as my university offers a tuition-funded textbook rental service, so I've spent less than $50 total out-of-pocket on textbooks so far. ;)
 
You should have your sister email each of her professors and ask if previous editions are okay. If so, definitely get previous editions since they are usually many times cheaper. Also, only use the school bookstore as a last resort because they will definitely rip you off. For international editions, be very wary. At times, they are the exact same with the only difference being hardcover vs softcover. Other times the content is the same but the problems are completely different. It's a crap shoot when it comes to international editions, but if you're willing to take the risk, I recommend doing so.

Also, use http://www.bigwords.com to help you search for cheap books.
 
I'm always dubious of anyone that rents books for their major. Maybe you can pass the course that way, but how can you ever learn a subject in depth if you never refer back?
 
Buy the previous edition or this may sound unorthodox, don't buy the book at all. I have earned an A in some classes without the book if the teacher relies heavy on lecture notes/powerpoints.

Try to beat the system, the schools, the publisher, some of the teachers want to charge you crazy prices for books. Don't fall prey to these vipers!
 
Best website ever for college books.

www.addall.com
searches virtually ever bookstore on ebay ebay-amazon-albris-abebooks etc to find you best prices. never used chegg but this has usually found me best prices.
 
[quote name='kulaguy']You should have your sister email each of her professors and ask if previous editions are okay. If so, definitely get previous editions since they are usually many times cheaper. Also, only use the school bookstore as a last resort because they will definitely rip you off. For international editions, be very wary. At times, they are the exact same with the only difference being hardcover vs softcover. Other times the content is the same but the problems are completely different. It's a crap shoot when it comes to international editions, but if you're willing to take the risk, I recommend doing so.

Also, use http://www.bigwords.com to help you search for cheap books.[/QUOTE]

^This. I was also going to suggest bigwords, but you already mentioned it. International editions can be a good choice, but keep in mind that many places, like half.com, won't let you post them to sell. Can still be a great deal, though.
There were two books I bought cheaply on half.com that ended up being international editions (even thought it's not allowed). I didn't bother complaining as I didn't want to wait for replacement books to arrive. Tried to sell them later on half.com, but they were taken down for bait & switch (I described them as international in description, as to not surprise anybody, as originally happened to me. Sorry 'bout my rant. :p
 
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