BOOK STORE
Unlike middle school and high school, in college you buy your own text books for all of your classes. That means the books are yours to mark up by highlighting as much as you'd like. You should plan to spend between $350 and $500 per semester (or $700-$1000 per year) for your text books.
Most college and university bookstores carry merchandise that can be divided into different categories:
Books
School Apparel and Gifts
Technology
Supplies
Books
The main purpose of college and university bookstores is to offer the text books students need each semester for their classes. This makes the process of buying books a whole lot easier than going to a general bookstore because you do not have to leave campus to buy books. Furthermore, the books that you will need for your classes will either be in the university bookstore or can be ordered for you, which may not be the case at a general bookstore. You can also find general books in school bookstores to fulfill your enjoyment of reading outside of class.
Nowadays colleges and universities even give you the option of ordering textbooks through the school website. These books will be waiting for you to pick up in the bookstore and you won’t have to shop around. All you need to know is what classes you are taking (including the course number) and what books you will need. Check out these colleges and universities to get an idea of how to buy your books.
Fairfield University Book Store
Grambling State University Book Store
Howard University
University of Connecticut
One of the great things about school bookstores is the possibility of buying used books. Used books are books that students from previous years have used for classes and sold back to the bookstore. This is a way for you to buy the books that you need at a cheaper price. You have to be careful with used books because other students may have written their own notes in them and their notes may be wrong!
This means that you can also sell your books back to the bookstore once you finish your classes as long as the school will still be offering that same class in the future. This gives you the opportunity to get some of your money back from those expensive books, especially if you do not plan to use them in the future. That being said, sometimes keeping your books is a good idea. The textbooks that you use for the classes in your major will come in handy for future classes you take for your major. If you keep these books you will still have all of your writing and highlighting notes to help you remember the mateiral. Below are some websites that will help you look for and buy new and used college textbooks.
Buying books online is a very popular way to get books today. There are many online bookstores other than those for colleges and universities. Buying the books that you need for class online can sometimes be cheaper than your school bookstore. Here are some links to online bookstores that may be helpful for you when you start looking for books:
Here are some good places to look for new books online:
To buy used textbooks online check out:
CampusBooks
eCampus
Half.com by eBay
School Apparel and Gifts
Every school has a mascot and logo, which most people know because of the schools many different sports teams. At the school bookstore you can show your support for your school by buying clothes and other items with the school logo and or mascot on them. All around campus students wear sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats and jackets with their school name and mascot on them. If you are wondering how to get something similar, go to the bookstore and check out all of the cool clothing that you can buy. Hats, key chains, scrapbooks and license plates are some of the other items that you can find at colleges and universities, including the University of Hartford and Morgan State University. This option makes gift giving for a birthday or the holidays easy and thoughtful, especially since students tend to feel crunched for time with all of the classes, activities and friends that they need to balance in their college life.
Technology
Technology can be seen everywhere you look on a college campus: computers, telephones, televisions, etc. When you head off to college you will have to use this technology more than you ever have before. At the bookstore you can buy computer software and accessories, plus other entertainment technology like CD’s and. If you ever have a problem or question about technology, it is always a good idea to head to the bookstore for help.
Supplies
When you get to college you will find that you may need more than you what you brought with you. This is why college and university books stores give students the opportunity to find supplies that they may really need. Most bookstores have pens, paper, lamps, phones, batteries, toiletries, over-the-counter medicines, and many other things that students may need for day to day living or in an emergency. Some school bookstores even sell food!