Sharing Your Textbook: What to Know

By Kailey Walters on August 7, 2018

It’s pretty standard knowledge that almost any college education is expensive in some way or another. Whether it’s tuition or housing, most college students are looking for ways to save on these normally sky-high costs.

Textbooks are often a source of financial duress, especially when there are many textbooks with prices soaring into the hundreds of dollars. While there are several ways to save on books, sharing textbooks among friends is a pretty popular option.

Read on to have your questions answered and find out everything you need to know about sharing your textbook with others.

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1. Find someone reliable to share your textbook with.

This almost goes without saying, but you definitely want to share your textbook with someone who is reliable and trustworthy. You wouldn’t want to get stuck in a bind sharing a physical copy of a textbook with someone who never answers you on time, hardly ever shows up in person to study with you, or hogs the book to themselves.

Instead, agree to share the textbook with someone you know can be counted on — perhaps a friend you’ve known for a while. That way, when it comes to figuring out a sharing schedule for the two (or three or more!) of you, you will hopefully already know how to communicate effectively with one another so as to avoid any potential conflicts before they arise.

2. Decide on how to manage the cost of the textbook.

Considering how pricey textbooks can get oftentimes, the cost is an important thing to be aware of when sharing the textbook with someone else.

Of course, depending on how many people are sharing the book, the price will vary. Usually, it’s most fair to simply split the cost evenly among the number of people who are using it. Doing so will prevent anyone from feeling as if they are paying more than they should.

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3. Figure out a study/sharing schedule.

Coming up with a schedule as to who will be using the book when is probably the trickiest part of sharing.

To avoid conflict or miscommunication, create a schedule that will allow everyone an equal chance to use the textbook. The best way to do so is to decide on times when everyone will be available to study together, so that you can all access the textbook at the same time.

A particularly convenient scenario is if you get together a group of friends who are all studying the same major. That way, finding textbooks to share (or any other materials you may need to purchase for your classes) is made a bit easier. You and your friends may be able to share a larger number of books if you all have similar classes and are studying similar material. The more books everybody shares, the less expensive it is for everyone individually! You can also more easily plan around your busy schedules if some of you have specific classes together.

In this vein, sharing a textbook can actually be a blessing to help you and others in the group keep each other accountable and study well together. Many students find study groups quite beneficial because they are able to ask each other questions and learn from one another — it’s like that saying, “Two heads are better than one.” What’s more, studying in a group can serve as a great source of motivation; being in an environment where everyone is studying the same material and encouraging one another can (hopefully) allow you to collaborate and focus on the information in the textbook.

4. Consider using an electronic version.

If figuring out a study/sharing schedule is too much for you, consider taking an easier route: instead of sharing a physical copy of the textbook, think about getting an electronic version. Especially when there are many people sharing the textbook, having an electronic version may be much simpler and easier. That way, everyone can easily access the textbook on their own without having to rely on others to physically bring it to them or worry about disrupting others’ schedules.

Sharing your textbook doesn’t have to be a complicated or difficult process. On the contrary, it can be quite a simple and smooth process, as long as you make sure to share with someone reliable and communicate effectively with them. Plus, sharing your book can actually be fun and beneficial for both you and others, if you are able to learn from one another and encourage good study habits!

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