A new school year brings students the excitement to see and meet friends, the mixed feelings about starting classes, and the pure and utter dread that comes with buying books.
Buying books has traditionally been the most painful voluntary experience a student endures according to Adam Gaudreault, a senior at UNH.
"I give them my schedule, they give me the books I need, and then I sell my soul and pay hundreds of dollars," Gaudreault, a double major in sociology and justice studies and minor in political science, said.
Gaudreault said he has spent more than $500 on a semester's worth of books. He added that buying books is just a piece of the book experience pizza.
Other slices include trying to return books, realizing you do not need books you already bought, and trying to sell books back.
During the summer break, both the UNH Bookstore and The Durham Book Exchange implemented new opportunities to help soothe the monetary pains some students, including Gaudreault, were experiencing when purchasing their semester books.
The UNH Bookstore added book rental and digital book options.
Sarah Hutz, the bookstore manager, said they have a couple hundred titles for students to rent. To rent any available titles, students would pay 45 percent of the price of the book.
Then, the student has until 10 days after the final for the class to return the book.
"If it is for a Gen Ed course where you would not want to keep the book, I would consider renting because it is an excellent option to save up front," Hutz said.
Hutz said the UNH bookstore wanted to give students choices when it came to purchasing their books. Students who sell back books can get up to 50 percent of the purchased value.
Not only does renting books save you more money than buying a book and selling it back, but this option is more concrete than not knowing whether you can get money when selling your books back.
With books going out of style faster than Giga Pets, students often find they are not getting much back for their books if anything.
It depends on if the title is going to be used the following semester.
Gaudreault said he hopes his upcoming books will be available to rent because he has not enjoyed selling them back in the past.
"I feel like I am getting 10 percent of my money back after putting in 100 percent worth of effort in the class," Gaudreault said.
The most frustrating aspect of the book process is getting stuck with books you do not use, Gaudreault said.
He said it doesn't matter whether you find out that you have already purchased a book that will need during the second week of the semester or the last week, because you will not be able to return it for your money back.
Last year, The Durham Book Exchange took some heat from students who missed the early date to return their books.
Store manager Lorraine Mechem said at closing time of the final day to return books last year there was a line past the post office of students trying to bring back their books.
She said the majority of the students were bringing the books back because they found them cheaper on the Internet.
Mechem said when students purchase books they will be given a bookmark that states when the last day to return books is.
Classes start Monday, Aug. 30 and the last day to return books is Friday of that week, Sept. 3.
Students will receive cash back if they return their books the first two days of school.
After that period of time, they will receive store credit. Mechem is looking to have this year go smoother than last with a new options for students.
"This year we have made our web page live so students can pre-order our books online," Mechem said. "We ended up with 300 pre-orders."
The pre-orders are a good idea for guaranteeing your books, and to avoid a line that has stretched down to Town and Campus in the past, Mechem said.
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