Friday, January 31, 2014

Buying Illustrated Anatomy Textbooks And More

By Judy Sullivan


After you have spent months meeting with guidance counselors, filling out college applications, visiting campuses, and going on interviews, no one can question the thrill you feel when you finally receive that acceptance letter from your first choice college. But that excitement can quickly turn to anxiety when you begin to think about all the expenses associated with student living: housing, illustrated anatomy textbooks, and everything else. There are lots of ways you can save on those costs, if you think ahead and use your resources. Ask around and find out how other students are coping with the same costs. Here are a couple of areas where you can save, and ideas for doing so.

Textbooks: As all students and former students know, this is one of the hugest expenses of attending college. Do not wait until the last minute, when you will have no choice but to purchase all of your books new from the school bookstore. Consider these possibilities:

1.Look for used books from online retailers. You can often find books for a fraction of the cost of purchasing them new. Just be sure to factor in the shipping costs.

2. Sharing books between students. You may be able to purchase a book jointly with a friend, or borrow or a buy a friend's used book. Students also sometimes share electronic copies of books.

3. Ask your college bookstore about used books and rentals. Buying the books used (if they are available) will save you a good percentage of the bookstore's price for new ones. Renting will be even cheaper, and let's be realistic; most people do not use their textbooks after they have finished a class.

Living Costs: This is a fantastic are in which to save. When you are in the middle of completing a fifteen page research paper, you don't want to suddenly find that you electricity is cut off or you can't pay the rent. Here are some ways to prevent those scenarios.

1. On-campus housing. The dorms might be your best bet for low-cost living, especially if you have a scholarship that covers this cost, or your parents are paying for your schooling. A bonus: most campus living includes a meal plan, which is another way to save.

2. Live with other people. Having roommates, especially ones who are strangers, can be aggravating. However, it may be worth the aggravation if it will cut your living expenses down to a half or a third of what they would be otherwise. Perhaps you can even find friends to live with.

3. Live with relatives. Many people stay in their hometowns for college rather than going away. Why not consider staying with your parents or with other relatives until you are able to save some money? it might help you to get on your own and stay on your own more quickly in the future.

All of these decisions can make you feel stressed, but planning in advance will be a huge help. When you identify the ways you can save, it hurts much less to buy those illustrated anatomy textbooks and make those housing payments. A budget and a financial plan will make everything much more bearable.




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