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Heading back to school can cost serious cash, especially in the textbook department, but if getting smart before classes start can save you money. Using online and digital tools can target the best deals, and with e-textbooks all the rage, you can lighten your backpack load without emptying your wallet. Here are a few top tech-savvy picks for back-to-school.
SEARCH FOR THE BEST DEAL ON-THE-GO
CampusBooks.com [1] : CampusBooks does the searching so that you don’t have to. The online search site pulls textbook prices from over 40 online vendors, including Amazon and Chegg to show you the best prices. They include the standard new and used books, but also rental and e-books to make sure you get the best deal, and their free iPhone and Android apps make deal-hunting on the go as simple as a barcode scan.
LIGHTEN THE LOAD WITH E-BOOKS
Amazon Kindle Textbook Rental [2] : Amazon’s new service combines the best of both worlds: rental and e-books. The offerings are limited at the moment, but odds are, if you find your book listed, it’s going to be the best price around. Don’t have a Kindle? No problem. You can download and read your books on your computer, smartphone, or even iPad. Kindle Textbook Rental also lets you choose your rental period, be that a quick 30 day cram session or a whole semester.
Kno [3] : Have an iPad? Get Kno. This e-reader application has over 70,000 textbooks available, and is chock-full of smart features. Share thoughts and notes with friends instantly, check out chapter previews, and take notes and highlight. There’s also a 15-day money-back guarantee, so no sweat if students need to drop or change classes.
Inkling [4] : Another great iPad app, Inkling’s textbook availability is limited at the moment, but growing, and the ones that are available are chock-full of interactive elements. Puzzles and mini-quizzes are worked right into the chapters, and you can search the web for information while still within the app. Inkling also lets you purchase individual chapters for a few dollars each, and many are free.
OPEN-SOURCE, OPEN-MIND
Flat World Knowledge [5] : Flat World Knowledge offers free textbooks. Yes, free. The enterprising new company offers “open-source textbooks,” and a unique opportunity for both students and educators. Educators get the chance to customize textbooks, making them unique to their course. Students then can get a free electronic version of the textbook, or opt to pay a bit more to download or get a print copy. It’s the ultimate in customized options–as long as your school is on board!
Xplana.com [6] : Xplana is more about the whole educational process than just textbooks. The site a heavy arsenal of over 250 thousand free notes, tools, videos and articles, including open-source textbooks. The site also lets you collaborate on group projects or with your friends while using the resources. It also has iPhone and Android apps for easy mobile access.
AFRAID OF COMMITMENT? TRY RENTAL
Chegg [7] : Chegg has dominated the textbook rental market recently, and for good reason: it’s super easy to use. Chegg lets students rent their print textbooks for the semester, and at the end, students just print a label, pop the book in a box, and off it goes. For those still in love with print textbooks, but not the end of the semester sell-back process, Chegg is the way to go.
Written by guest writer Corianda Dimes
Links
- ^ CampusBooks.com (www.campusbooks.com)
- ^ Amazon Kindle Textbook Rental (www.amazon.com)
- ^ Kno (www.kno.com)
- ^ Inkling (www.inkling.com)
- ^ Flat World Knowledge (www.flatworldknowledge.com)
- ^ Xplana.com (www.xplana.com)
- ^ Chegg (www.chegg.com)
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