Tip to save Money for College Books

Save Money on Buying and Selling Books
by academictips

college textbooks are expensive. You may spend a lot of each semester (that's an additional 3 to 7 percent of your annual school costs), and the bookstore wants its money now! What to do?

Some students get to campus before the semester begins to be first in line at the bookstore and grab used books at 70 to 80 percent of the original cost. But if getting to the school bookstore early isn't an option for you (or if the person in front of you takes the last used book), it doesn't mean that there isn't a used copy somewhere. It just means that it isn't in your bookstore. Write down the price of the book and look at any online booksellers, including eBay, to see if you can find it cheaper. Remember to consider the actual cost of the book, the shipping and handling costs and the length of time it will take to have it in your hands. One of the drawbacks with online buying is that you need either a credit card or a debit card. Also, you are taking a chance that the book not will arrive in time for your class.

In general, one of the cheapest ways to get books is from your classmates through campuswide e-mail, word of mouth or flyers on campus. Expect to pay 50 to 70 percent of the original cost this way. If you don't need a book right away, keep checking, because there are always students who drop a course and have books to unload.

Some large universities have several bookstores, usually with competitive prices, and there are often off-campus bookstores within walking distance that cater to students and sell used textbooks.

Still no luck? Don't give up yet! Contact the professor. Sometimes the book is not required but rather recommended or optional. Maybe the professor has assigned only a couple of chapters from the book. In any case, you may be able to check it out of the library or skim a classmate's copy. Sometimes professors put reserve copies in the library. It's not the same as having the book within reach at all times, but it will save you a lot of money. If you are really in a financial bind, talk to the professor, who may be happy to offer you a loaner book to read over the weekend.

Remember that you can get back some of the cost later by selling the books. With this in mind, take good care of them. If you plan to sell your books back to the bookstore at the end of the semester, keep receipts (even though most bookstores go by barcodes); don't write in the books; keep them away from food, animals and bad weather; and rush them back to the bookstore by the sell-back deadline. You can expect to get back 10 to 20 percent of the book's original cost. If the book isn't being used the next semester, however, you're out of luck.

As you can see, the rate you get from the bookstore isn't great. So again, some of the best sellback methods are campuswide e-mail and selling them to friends. Students begin buying books as soon as they get their lists for the next semester. You can expect to sell for at least 50 percent of the original price.

In addition, almost all the online booksellers buy books, and you can get a quote quickly. You will have to ship the books, but at least get an estimate, including shipping costs.

CHECKLIST
The costs associated with buying books are a fact of college life. But there are plenty of alternatives to annually spending $1000 to $1600 in one-stop shopping at the campus bookstore each year, but you will have to do a little research.

Buying books:

1. Check the campus intranet and bulletin boards. If you don't see what you need, advertise.
2. Buy used textbooks at the college bookstore.
3. Know the bookstore price of your books and look at online booksellers. Amazon and Barnes & Noble both sell used books, but through a third party. Determine the shipping and handling costs and expected date of arrival before you place your order.
4. Look at bookstores that are off campus.
5. Contact the professor to see if all the books on your book list are really required.
6. Ask classmates to share or borrow books.
7. See if the professor has put any books on reserve in the library. If not, request that it be done.
8. Ask the professor to borrow the loaner copy.

Selling books

1. Advertise on the campus intranet.
2. Get quotes from the online bookstores, but add in your cost of packaging and shipping before making a decision.
3. Sell books back to the college bookstore.
4. Sell books to bookstores that are off campus.

Nine Ways to Aid Your Memory

how to increase memory
by Dartmouth College


It is more natural to forget something than to remember it. If you intend to remember something, apply as many of the following techniques as possible.

1. Be flexible.

Experiment with many learning procedures. Be willing to abandon outmoded and faulty learning procedures so you will be free to acquire new and more efficient methods.

2. Overlearn.

In order to retain anything learned, you must practice and reorganize it into your current ongoing activity. One way to do this is to incorporate the learned material as part of your present habit system. Use it in speaking and writing. Act out the material as a rehearsal of a part in a play-a process known as role-playing. This is especially helpful in learning a foreign language.

3. Schedule.

Schedule your study time so that the time at which something is learned or relearned is close to the time at which it will be used.

4. Rephrase and explain.

Try a little role-playing. Take the point of view of the teacher, for a change. Rephrase and explain the material, in your own words, to a classmate. Allow your classmate to criticize your presentation. Then let the classmate be the teacher, while you criticize. If you can't explain something, you don't really know it.

Many students adopt the so-called warm-body attitude toward learning. A "warm" feeling toward one particular answer becomes the basis for its selection, regardless of whether one really knows why the answer is correct. This attitude is the result of classroom examining procedures in which true-false and multiple-choice items are used exclusively for testing. Testing in this manner encourages the attitude that mere recognition of the most probable answer constitutes learning.

Even though a particular course may not require adequate recall by using more penetrating recall-type questions, don't allow yourself to fall into this warm-body learning trap. Insist on testing yourself! If you can explain the material, most certainly you can pass any "objective" test calling for superficial recognition. However, the reverse is most certainly not true. Learning only to a point of recognition, and depending on your ability to ferret out the correct response, is insufficient for total-recall kinds of tests. Sooner or later this habit will result in total failure in a demanding test situation.

5. Eliminate accidental and unrelated associations.

A study situation in which a phone is constantly jangling produces breaks in the mental association process. Remove the receiver. The only suggestion that can be made for the elimination of television during the study period is to donate the set to a family that is not involved in higher education.

6. Eliminate previous mistakes.

Take note of all previous mistakes and make every effort to eliminate them from future practice. It has been shown experimentally that consciously reviewing mistakes, making note of exactly why they were incorrect, helps to reinforce the correct response. This process is sometimes referred to as negative practice.

7. Decide on an order of importance.

Some things are more important than others. In a particular study unit, decide what these are and organize the important material into an outline or framework. "Over-learn" this particular framework.

8. Become emotionally involved.

Assume the attitude that you fully believe the viewpoint of the author. Strive for perfection. You may never achieve it, but you will most certainly improve your performance. Learn to discuss your current beliefs calmly with people holding different attitudes.
Cite authorities to back up your position.

9. Use mechanical memory aids.

When material is complicated, it may be necessary to use mechanical memory aids. For example, suppose you had reason to believe that a certain table showing all of the endocrine glands of the body with their secretions and functions would be called for in an examination. In order to be sure that you would be able to recall all of the glands, you memorized the first letter or syllable of each gland, and organized them into three very strange words: Anpothy Paramed Adcorpan, the novelty of which aided recall.
This could be deciphered as follows:

An= anterior pituitary
Po= posterior pituitary
thy= thyroid
par= parathyroid
amed= adrenal medulla
adcor= adrenal cortex
pan= pancreas, etc.

TIME MANAGEMENT PRETEST

How Efficiently Do you Manage your Time?

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Practical For Improving Memory

How Can I Do To Improve My Ability To Remember?
by OHIO university

Tips For Improving Memory

1. Keep up with assignments.

• You won't have to learn too much at one time.

• Make an assignment schedule for each week.
• Make daily to-do lists.
• Reward yourself for completing work.

2. Review lecture notes each day.

• Make up study questions from the key points and quiz yourself.
• Play Jeopardy.

3. Take breaks while studying.

• You won't be so tired, and you can focus better.

• Stand up after 20 minutes.
• Switch to a different subject.
• Write, draw and talk out loud.

4. Study actively.

• Pay attention to the major headings when you read.
• How many headings are there? How are they related?
• Read the chapter summary.

5. Look for the main ideas.

• The details will cluster around these ideas and be easier to remember.

6. Test yourself as you study.

• Stop and try to tell yourself what you've learned -- in your own words.

7. Keep reviewing after you feel you know the information.

• The information will be more firmly embedded in your memory.

8. Get enough sleep.

• Lack of sleep has negative effects on your ability to remember.

9. Organize information in categories and label (name) the categories.

• Your memory is a filing system -- you need organization and lab

Academic Success

1. Set individual academic and personal goals.

2. Choose courses carefully, especially during your first year.

3. Know and use resources.

4. Meet and get to know faculty.

5. Learn actively.

6. Manage your time well.

7. Know and actively use reading skills.

8. Develop strong listening and note-taking skills.

9. Develop and improve your writing and speaking skills.

10.Get involved in co-curricular activities; learn skills and

gain experience.