Spring Break
Free textbooks can be reality for OSU students
OSU Bookstore-sponsored contest will award students $500 toward textbook purchase
Michelle Suffin
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News
Students planning on spending their Christmas cash on expensive textbooks may want to think twice.
Thanks to the OSU Bookstore and Used Textbook Association, students may get to spend that cash on something else!
Now through Dec. 21, all currently enrolled OSU students can enter online to win one of ten $500 prizes for textbooks next term.
"It's a positive thing whenever students can get assistance purchasing textbooks," said Steve Eckrich, the manager of the OSU Bookstore. "We definitely support anything that helps the students out. The contest is just another way we can help."
Used textbooks come from wholesale distributors, and from students who sell their books back at the end of each term.
Out of the total number of textbooks available at the OSU Bookstore, 50 percent are used, and 40 percent of the total books sold are used copies.
The average cost of a used textbook is usually 75 percent of the new book price.
"Students can try to look online for a cheaper book if the used copy is sold out, but they have to be careful. Often, the book is the wrong edition, and the content does not match up with the required text for the class," Eckrichsaid.
There's also an option of reserving used books ahead of time online, however, copies are limited.
According to Eckrich, students don't complain about how quickly used books sell out because they are well aware of the high demand.
Paul Fejta, a freshman majoring in exercise and sports science, was unaware that students could reserve used textbooks ahead of time.
"My buddy went online and ordered all his books ahead of time, and paid a lot less than I did," Fejta said. "It seems kind of weird that ordering used books online ends up being cheaper than purchasing them in person. You would think that since ordering books online is more convenient, they would be more expensive."
"If my friend had not ordered his books that way, I never would have know online reservation existed," Fejta said. "I don't think they really advertise it to students, and they should because it would be extremely helpful."
Thanks to the OSU Bookstore and Used Textbook Association, students may get to spend that cash on something else!
Now through Dec. 21, all currently enrolled OSU students can enter online to win one of ten $500 prizes for textbooks next term.
"It's a positive thing whenever students can get assistance purchasing textbooks," said Steve Eckrich, the manager of the OSU Bookstore. "We definitely support anything that helps the students out. The contest is just another way we can help."
Used textbooks come from wholesale distributors, and from students who sell their books back at the end of each term.
Out of the total number of textbooks available at the OSU Bookstore, 50 percent are used, and 40 percent of the total books sold are used copies.
The average cost of a used textbook is usually 75 percent of the new book price.
"Students can try to look online for a cheaper book if the used copy is sold out, but they have to be careful. Often, the book is the wrong edition, and the content does not match up with the required text for the class," Eckrichsaid.
There's also an option of reserving used books ahead of time online, however, copies are limited.
According to Eckrich, students don't complain about how quickly used books sell out because they are well aware of the high demand.
Paul Fejta, a freshman majoring in exercise and sports science, was unaware that students could reserve used textbooks ahead of time.
"My buddy went online and ordered all his books ahead of time, and paid a lot less than I did," Fejta said. "It seems kind of weird that ordering used books online ends up being cheaper than purchasing them in person. You would think that since ordering books online is more convenient, they would be more expensive."
"If my friend had not ordered his books that way, I never would have know online reservation existed," Fejta said. "I don't think they really advertise it to students, and they should because it would be extremely helpful."
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