Opinion

Renting books better than buying

Each semester, students discover that acquiring sufficient financing is an increasingly difficult challenge.

Filling out FAFSA forms to pay for tuition can be depressing. Standing in line at the Financial Aid Department waiting to clear holds and for student loan checks may be too familiar for students.

After all this stress, students stand in long lines at the bookstore to purchase textbooks, which presents another financial challenge.

Busy students equip their bags with books and other school supplies, as they watch student loan checks diminish as these items are scanned.

Students often return these textbooks after the semester is complete, only to find that they are worth pennies on the dollar. But students may not have to worry anymore.

I am currently attending graduate school and finally received financing for school.

I realized that I did not have enough money for books that I needed immediately, and my student loan would not post for another week.

When my mother told me about an Internet-based book rental service, I became curious. I visited this Web site, only to find that this was a scam.

This left me worrying about how to obtain books and begging professors for grace with reading assignments.

Chegg.com provided a solution, as their six-step rental process gave me an option for renting books.

Students are required to complete a short form, choose their books and decide how quickly they want the textbooks to arrive. Students can also track the progress and status of their shipment.

The best part is how much students can save. My textbook would have cost around $100 (used) to $130 (new). Renting the book, including tax and shipping, only cost $57.

Chegg is a great option for students who do not plan to use their textbooks in the future.
If students are unhappy with the book or if the professor changes the required texts, students can send the book back. Chegg will pay for the shipping and provide a full refund.

The process only takes about seven minutes, and it is definitely better than standing in line at the bookstore in the University Center.

The Web site also has an instant messaging feature that allows students to chat directly with customer service representatives.

Students can rent televisions, rims for their cars, houses and now textbooks. Chegg and many other Web sites that are sure to follow could be the answer for college students who are tired of paying too much textbooks.

Omar H. Viengar is a graduate student of hotel and restaurant management and may be reached at [email protected]

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