The average college textbook prices have risen more than 1000 times during the last four to five decades. The amount of financial burden on top of the college students’ educational fees every term is often too much to bear.

According to a recent survey, an average undergraduate student spent around $1240 on buying textbooks and supplies in the 2020-21 academic year. That’s a lot. However, these textbooks are a pertinent part of learning, and students cannot sustain themselves without them. 

If you are wondering if there is an alternative to spending thousands of dollars on buying textbooks every year, you may find renting textbooks quite a convenient option. Continue reading to get an insight into the two options and find out if renting or buying textbooks suits your needs.

Renting vs. Buying Textbooks – Pros and Cons

Whether you have just joined a college or are a seasoned student, you may be faced with the choice between buying and renting. The decision, however, must be made by taking multiple factors into account. In this section, we will highlight the pros and cons of both, which may assist you in making a decision.

The Perks of Buying Textbooks

Buying textbooks may be expensive. However, it does have a few benefits. Let’s have a look:

• If there is an essential textbook that you can use throughout your academic years, it is perhaps wiser to buy it to continue to use it as reference material. 
  
  For instance, if you are a business student, you may find basic management or marketing books very useful for refreshing simple concepts, even during the advanced years of your degree and later on in your career. 
• When you own a textbook, you do not have to worry too much about writing on it or highlighting the important points for future reference.

• There are a few places from where you can buy used textbooks. Price comparisons will show that they will not cost you as much as a brand new book and help you save money.
• When you finish with the textbook, you can sell it and earn some money as well.

The Cons of Buying Textbooks

• When you buy a textbook, you pay for the book content and the research, the making of the book, and its publishing. Therefore, buying textbooks comes with quite a hefty price and may set you back by a considerable margin.
  
• Selling is not everyone’s cup of tea. While you always have the option of selling the textbook when you no longer need it, you may find the selling process quite a hassle and time-consuming. Therefore, if you are not up to selling, you may find renting a better option.
  
• Even if you sell the books, you may be surprised at the amount you get in comparison to the price at which you bought it in the first place. Reselling the book may not always be very lucrative.
• If you can’t sell it, you will have to store it. As a college student, you may already be falling short of space. Stacking up used textbooks in an already limited space may prove to be quite a challenge.

The Pros of Renting Textbooks

• In comparison to buying, renting textbooks is a much cheaper option;  You can just rent the book for a small price and limited duration.
• Renting textbooks is space efficient as you can return the book once you’re done and don’t have to store it for more extended periods. Your tiny dorm room will thank you later.
  
• Renting textbooks is quite convenient. Whether it is a hardcover or an e-book, you can find it easily in most instances and rent it for the required duration.
  
• Book rental sites usually stock the latest edition of textbooks which is particularly important courses that are modified and updated over time to incorporate new concepts. When you rent such textbooks, you will probably get the latest edition of the respective book.

The Cons of Renting Textbooks

• When you rent a book, you have to safeguard it and keep it intact so that you can return it safely in the same condition. If you fail to do so or do not meet the deadline for returning the book, you may have to pay a fine or even pay the total price if the textbook gets lost.
  
• The book is not yours to keep, and you cannot use it the way you would use your own book. Therefore, even if you want to scribble or highlight important points during a lecture or study session, you cannot do that.
  
• Even if you find the book useful, you cannot keep it for longer than specified.If the book is a limited edition or is not readily available, you may not be able to buy your own later down the track.

Buying vs. Renting – How to Decide

As we can see, both the options have their pros and cons, and you can choose according to your circumstances.

When to Buy

While money is an important consideration when it comes to buying textbooks, it is not the only factor. 

Some textbooks come with additional resources like course CDs etc., and you may not have any other option but to buy the book.

Moreover, if the textbook is important and you know that you will be using it for a long time as reference material, buying it seems to be a better idea. In such an instance, try looking for a used version of the book as the price will be lower. 

You can also buy it with a peer or a friend on a shared basis to split the cost.

When to Rent

Renting textbooks is quite a budget-friendly option in comparison to buying them. You cannot only save quite a lot of money by renting instead of buying, but you can also save up your storage space. 

Nowadays, you have the option of renting physical copies as well as eBooks of the latest versions of textbooks which take up no space at all and are easily available. You can easily find various renting options online as well as on some campus facilities.

Where to Rent From

If you’ve decided buying textbooks isn’t for you and that renting is your best option, head over to our list of available textbooks to check we have your required reading for this semester. Or, Check out our other articles if you want more details about college life.

It’s scary to think that you can spend about $500 on textbooks per semester of your college life. On top of that are your tuition fees and your living costs. There is no doubt that buying textbooks and education comes at a cost.

That’s why renting your college textbooks instead of buying them is a smart move. Some students may never have even considered the idea. Renting your textbooks is an excellent way to save money and keep your student debt at a minimum.

That said, renting your textbooks isn’t all plain sailing. In this article, we’ll talk you through seven factors you need to consider when renting your college textbooks. First on your reading list for this semester is this article!

1. Not All Books Are Equal

Some of your textbooks will be more useful to you than others. You may end up with a long reading list, in which case it can be challenging at first to know which books are the most important ones. The best way to find out is to ask your professor directly which books they think are the most important.

An alternative is to ask others that have studied your course. Your faculty may have an online forum or community that you can engage with and canvass good advice on which books will make the biggest difference to your experience on the course. Once you’ve identified the key reference works, those are the ones you want to focus on renting.

2. Be Selective

Renting is a brilliant idea and will save you a small fortune each semester. Still, that doesn’t mean you should never buy a textbook again. The advantage of renting is that it gives you time to get to know the various textbooks and which ones you feel are going to be of the most benefit to you not just for this semester but longer term.

If you find yourself repeatedly going back to one textbook and even wanting to make notes in it. Then it’s worth considering buying this textbook at some point and continuing to rent other books. You want to be selective and smart about any books you do finally invest in.

3. Shop Around

Books are a competitive market like most other educational resources. So even when it comes to renting you shouldn’t rent from the first provider you come across. It’s good to shop around and compare prices. 

Prices will vary based on the original value of the textbook, how recent an edition it is, and also how popular it is. So don’t make assumptions, just do your homework and you’ll see how you can save money. 

Before renting a textbook, it also pays to thoroughly search for pdf copies that are available online. Even if you can’t access the whole textbook you may be able to find some partial online versions that focus on particular chapters or subjects.

4. Get It Covered

When you do take the plunge and rent your textbooks you must remember they are an investment and in your trust. You will need to return them in excellent condition. That’s not always easy with a full bag and the demands of everyday life.

One of the first things you should do is get them covered. You might want to make your own covers which can be fun and economical or you can invest in some strong material covers for standard-sized textbooks and then use them over and over again. 

5. Study More Effectively

When it comes to renting textbooks the old adage time is money holds true. So the longer you are renting your textbook the more it’s costing you. So make sure you’re getting the best out of those textbooks in the shortest period of time possible. What that requires is for your to focus your studies and be more effective in your study methods.

There are lots of good things you can do to practically improve your study effectiveness. One thing you will want to do is to make clear notes on all the key points. With smart tablets, apple pencils, and cameras, you can do a lot to capture content from your textbook and make your own personalized notes.

6. Digital Versus Paper Rental

Renting books doesn’t mean you have to rent a paper copy. Everyone is different and has their own style of learning and preference. However, if you consider renting digital books then there can be some great advantages. 

Ever since the ebook was invented, it has been very popular and the number of different texts available in this form continues to soar. It’s very likely the texts you want are available and at very good prices to rent. Ebooks are super convenient, easy to return, and free of shipping charges and all the risks that come with damaging paper copies.

7. Save Trees and Space

If you have to rent your textbooks then you’re more likely to only rent what you need and return the books after they’ve served their purpose. This is good news for the planet as it means books get re-used and not printed endlessly and left to gather dust.

Books may not be that big but they soon occupy a large area of the space you live in, especially when you’re studying. Renting textbooks will allow you to return them as soon as they are redundant rather than letting them steal the space in your room. 

College Textbooks for Everyone

In this article, you’ve read about seven factors to consider when renting college textbooks. Bottom line is that textbooks are expensive, go out of date, and are not always convenient. Renting textbooks is an excellent option that makes these resources available to almost everyone.

Keep these factors in mind so that you can rent books and get all the benefits without some of the negatives. There are some great resources on the internet to help you make the most of the book renting market. Check out some of the subjects available on our site.