How to Buy your Textbooks Smartly

Photo and Essay by Abdulrhman Hiazaa

Congratulations ! You are now an Aggie. Whoooooop !! As a student at English Language Institute, it is my pleasure telling you how to buy your textbooks as smartly as I do. To me, there are three ways to get the textbooks which are buying them from the bookstores, ordering them online, or buying them from a friend who has already taken the courses before you.

First, bring your syllabuses to the bookstore. There are many bookstores in the town. One of them is located at the Memorial Students Center on the university campus. The textbooks are located downstairs. You will find that books organized by the department name. For example, you are in Advanced Grammar class. You will find your book in the row labeled ELIG 300. ELI means English Language Institute. The G represents the grammar and 300 means advanced level and so on for the rest of your books.

Another way to buy books is ordering them online. “Amaazon.com” is the most popular website offering this service. All you need is the title of the book, the author's name and a valid credit card. It is a good idea to sign up at amazon.com. They are going to give you a discount and more flexibility in the delivering process. However, delivery may take two to five weekdays. If your teacher asks you to bring the books as soon as posable, you had better not order them online. Anyway, buying a book online is more cheaper than buying them from bookstores.

What if you can't get the books? Maybe the book you are looking for at the bookstore is sold out and buying it online takes a while. In this case your friends will help you by giving you their books or selling them. However, make sure that the book is clean and the questions in it are unanswered or able to be erased. The aim of owning books is to learn and master your new language. If the book is answered, how are you going to learn?

To sum up, these are the three main ways to own your textbooks. I wish you have a great, successful semester.