I don’t want to buy the book.

As I was sitting down to write this article, my professor suggested that I use the textbook to help me with the writing process. The problem with using my textbook for assistance is: I do not have it.

The reasons pile up as to why I never pur- chased the textbook for my Feature Writing class. For one, I am only a journalism minor. I do not see myself needing this book in the future when my future career is going to be in youth ministry. Secondly, I am a poor college student just like everyone else. Finally, and most importantly, we never have tests in this class.

I decided to research my art of avoiding text- book purchasing and came up with many other alternatives to those who want to join me.

Rent a Book. Save the Earth.

Many students do not have the hundreds of dollars it takes to purchase all the textbooks needed for an entire semester. Instead of buy- ing the books needed for class, there are web- sites that allow you to rent textbooks for the period of time you need.

Chegg.com, for example, is a textbook rental site which plants a tree for every book that is rented- yielding over 4 million trees planted so far. They claim that students who use their site can save more than $400 per year.

Most sites like Chegg, Campusbookrentals. com, and ecampus.com provide a prepaid enve- lope to send the book back free of charge. They also give the option of renting the book for a semester (130 days), a quarter (85-90 days) or the summer (55-60 days).

“I had no idea [about textbook renting],” senior Val Gheorghe said. “I should do that instead of feeding the corporate pig that is the bookstore.”

Instead of having a bookshelf full of books or the hassle of having to sell back your books for a quarter of the price you paid for it in the first place, textbook rental is a nifty alternative that keeps the hole in your wallet a bit smaller.

Ohiolink

Although we have all heard the lectures about OhioLink and all of it’s glorious advantages, it really can be convenient for the textbooks you need.

According to the OhioLink website, the

network provides students with over 48 million books, millions of e-articles, 62,000 e-books, 14,000 electronic journals, and the list goes on.

OhioLink does work like the library in that there is a due date for the book that is far less time than you will probably need it, but thank- fully renewals are available.

“I’ve tried OhioLink once and I kept forget- ting to return a couple novels I’ve checked from the library,” senior Michaela Shelton said.

Although OhioLink is a useful tool, many students have a hard time having to research for their books that they need.

“I don’t have the time,” junior Kyle Gould said. “If I can’t find it on Amazon, I just suck it up and buy it at the bookstore or don’t get it at all.”

Kyle guesses he spends about $150-200 in text books each semester. His use of Amazon is so that he can save as much as he can, but not all textbooks can be found on the site.

“For my major classes I couldn’t go without the book,” Gould said. “But for core classes, I’d say it’s pretty do- able.”

Google

Another alternative to pur- chasing the textbook would be to use Google Books. Google Books puts books on their site that are either out of copyright or permission was given by the publisher that it could be used.

While sometimes you can only get a preview of a book rather than the full text, it is always worth a try to research if you are going to save a penny or two for classes.

Google Books also has hundreds of free pdf’s and is also working on a library connection in which it can tell you local libraries that have the book. This site would be most helpful in English classes for novels.

“Let’s Go Halfsies.”

Sometimes it really can be beneficial to make friends in class. It can come to your advantage when you can just split the cost of the textbook and share it throughout the semester to save you money. Shelton admitted that if the textbook is too expensive, she will split the cost with another class member. Remember to also check if there is more than one section of the class you are taking. Sometimes a friend will be in the other class and you never even knew it!

It is important to find someone who is reliable, though. If you find someone who is prone to losing the book, not keeping up with their end of the deal of giving you allotted reading time, or is hard to get a hold of, it is probably best to stay solo when it comes to the book.

Money in Your Pocket

Getting through the whole semester without buying a book should be fairly easy now that I found a copy on Ohiolink. It is always more comforting knowing that I have more money in my pocket, to spend on more useful college-life things.