From: ShadowHalo17 | #005
Would buying or renting be recommended? I read that the college store will only buy certain books back, so if I buy a used book online, I might be stuck with it forever?
You get ripped off on returns anyway. If you buy the books you'd want to sell them to another student directly, using something like half.com, craigslist, or a book exchange program if your school has one.
Also make sure to check for older editions of your books. Depending on what books you're getting, there can be very little changes between editions and the price will be a fraction of the newest edition. For math/science books they might change the problem sets which is bad, but other times you're fine. I'd wait until the first day of class and see if the professor says anything if you're unsure.
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No amount of planning will ever replace dumb luck.